Flagler County Manatee Protection Plan Prepared by: Flagler County Board of County Commissioners 1769 East Moody Boulevard Bunnell, FL 32110 386.313.4000 Technical Assistance by: Atlantic Ecological Services, LLC 217 Gallicia Avenue St. Augustine, FL 32086 www.atlanticeco.com 904.347.9133 1st Revision - June 2015 2nd Revision - March 2016 Final Edition - April 2016
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This document represents Flagler County s Manatee Protection Plan (MPP) which is intended to assist in protecting manatees and their habitats to ensure their continued survival. Specific objectives include: reducing the number of boat-related mortalities, creation of a county-wide boat facility siting strategy, protecting manatee habitat, providing appropriate law enforcement strategies, promoting boating safety, and increasing public awareness of the need to protect manatees and their habitat. Flagler County has been in discussions with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) regarding manatee protection since 2006. In September 2006, Flagler County received a copy of a draft Biological Opinion (BO) from the USFWS to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) recommending denial of federal permits for five multi-slip projects proposed within the County. The BO referenced five projects within Flagler County and expressed the USFWS position regarding Flagler County and the agency s responsibilities under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 and the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972. In summary, the BO stated that, due to increasing boat traffic and the potential for increased manatee-boater interactions, the Service believes that the proposed actions are reasonably certain to result in the take of one or more manatees in the form of additional injury or deaths. During the years of 2003, 2006, and 2007, Flagler County saw an increase in watercraft-related manatee deaths (2 in each of those years). In 2007, the FWC identified Flagler County within the Manatee Management Plan (MMP) as an area with little or no manatee protection regulations and therefore, an area that would require evaluation to determine if Manatee Protection Zones were warranted. Manatee Protection Zones are a management tool that has historically been used in areas where watercraft-related manatee deaths are high. Flagler County is not recognized as an area with high watercraft-related manatee deaths, but the County does recognize that the number of deaths in the early to mid-2000 s increased to a number of concern especially with a large number of parcels being proposed for future marina development in the County. Flagler County took its first significant step toward Final Edition April 2016 Page I
overall protection of manatees in 2012 by supporting implementation of seasonal FWC manatee protection zones that cover about 20% of the county s coastal inshore waters, including 2.7 miles of shore-to-shore Slow Speed zones on the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW). These zones became enforceable in 2013 when regulatory markers were posted on the water. An approximately 0.5 mile length of the slow speed zone on the ICW adjacent to Lehigh Canal was approved by FWC to become a shore-to-shore zone in 2016. Flagler County s intent is to use this MPP as a means to provide adaptive management practices in regards to manatee protection. The creation of a Manatee Protection Plan Annual Report updating the number of newly constructed slips and/or ramps, watercraft-related manatee deaths and locations of deaths, law enforcement efforts within the Manatee Protection Zones, land acquisitions along the ICW, and other pertinent manatee related information can be used as a guide to create adaptive management techniques which will contribute to long term, comprehensive protection for manatees. The creation of protocol for interagency coordination between Flagler County, USFWS, FWC, and other stakeholders will provide assurances that all manateerelated issues are openly discussed and the annual reports are reviewed by each entity. Reference to the MPP and its provisions in the county comprehensive plan will help to ensure its implementation at the local level. Among the components of this MPP are: An inventory of boat facilities (marinas, multi-family residential facilities, and boat ramps) An assessment of boating activity patterns Manatee sighting and mortality information Information on habitat resources, Aquatic Preserves and Outstanding Florida Waters, etc. Manatee protection measures, such as boating speed zone regulations A boat facility siting strategy Law enforcement strategy An education and awareness program for the public, boaters, and children Recommendations and schedule for future MPP review Final Edition April 2016 Page II
TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY... I TABLE OF CONTENTS... III LIST OF FIGURES... V LIST OF TABLES... VII LIST OF APPENDICES... VII LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS... VII LIST OF DEFINITIONS... VIII 1.0 INTRODUCTION... 1 1.1 GEOGRAPHIC SETTING... 3 1.2 COUNTY DEMOGRAPHICS... 4 1.3 RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT WITHIN THE COUNTY... 4 1.4 MANATEE RELEVENT WATERWAYS, WATER QUALITY, AND RECREATION... 6 1.5 MANATEE PROTECTION ZONES... 7 1.6 MANATEE NATURAL HISTORY IN FLORIDA... 12 1.7 LAND DEVELOPMENT REVIEW... 13 1.8 MANATEE PROTECTION PLAN OBJECTIVE... 14 2.0 FLAGLER COUNTY MANATEE HABITAT... 15 2.1 AQUATIC PRESERVES AND OUTSTANDING FLORIDA WATERS... 15 2.2 MANATEE WATERWAYS IN FLAGLER... 17 2.3 FLAGLER COUNTY PRESERVATION LANDS... 27 2.4 FRESHWATER AVAILABILITY ALONG THE ICW IN FLAGLER COUNTY... 34 2.5 FORAGE OPPORTUNITIES FOR MANATEES IN FLAGLER COUNTY... 38 3.0 INFORMATION ASSESSMENT... 45 3.1 MANATEE DISTRIBUTION... 45 3.2 AERIAL SURVEYS... 48 3.3 MANATEE MORTALITY... 55 3.3.1 WATERCRAFT-RELATED MANATEE MORTALITIES... 67 3.4 BOAT ACTIVITY... 69 3.4.1 BOATING ACCIDENT STATISTICS... 70 3.4.2 BOATING STUDIES IN FLAGLER COUNTY... 72 3.5 EXISTING BOATING FACILITY INVENTORY... 75 Final Edition April 2016 Page III
3.5.1 COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL MARINAS... 76 3.5.2 RAMPS AND TRANSIENT SLIPS... 76 3.5.3 COMMERCIAL FACILITIES... 76 3.5.4 MARINELAND & MATANZAS RIVER REGION SECTION A... 78 3.5.5 PALM COAST REGION SECTION B... 81 3.5.6 FOX CUT REGION SECTION C... 83 3.5.7 SMITH CREEK NORTH OF SR100 REGION SECTION D... 85 3.5.8 SMITH CREEK SOUTH OF SR100 REGION SECTION E... 88 3.5.9 LAKE CRESCENT REGION SECTION F... 89 3.6 MANATEE SPATIAL OVERLAP ANALYSIS... 91 3.7 INFORMATION ASSESSMENT DISCUSSIONS... 91 3.8 MANATEE AND BOAT OVERLAP CONCLUSIONS... 96 4.0 BOAT FACILITY SITING... 99 4.1 COUNTY AND MUNICIPALITY JURISDICTION... 99 4.2 BOAT FACILITY SITING DEVELOPMENT CRITERIA... 100 4.3 BOAT FACILITY SITING RECOMMENDATIONS... 100 5.0 EDUCATION PLAN... 117 5.1 INFORMATIONAL KIOSKS... 118 5.2 BOATING GUIDE PAMPHLETS... 118 6.0 MANATEE PROTECTION ZONES AND LAW ENFORCEMENT... 120 7.0 IMPLEMENTATION PLAN... 122 7.1 MANATEE PROTECTION PLAN ADOPTION... 122 7.2 MANATEE PROTECTION PLAN ANNUAL REPORT... 122 7.3 MANATEE PROTECTION ZONE LAW ENFORCEMENT REPORT... 122 7.4 MANATEE PROTECTION PLAN FUNDING... 123 7.5 MANATEE PROTECTION PLAN RECOMMENDATIONS... 123 REFERENCES... 126 Final Edition April 2016 Page IV
LIST OF FIGURES FIGURE 1: LOCATION OF FLAGLER COUNTY, FLORIDA... 3 FIGURE 2: MANATEE PROTECTION ZONES... 8 FIGURE 3: MANATEE PROTECTION ZONE SECTION B &C... 9 FIGURE 4: MANATEE PROTECTION ZONE SECTIONS D... 10 FIGURE 5: MANATEE PROTECTION ZONE SECTION E... 11 FIGURE 6: 2016 ADDITION TO MANATEE PROTECTION ZONES... 12 FIGURE 7: ICW AQUATIC PRESERVES AND OUTSTANDING FLORIDA WATERS... 16 FIGURE 8: LAKE CRESCENT OUTSTANDING FLORIDA WATERS... 17 FIGURE 9: OVERVIEW OF MPP PLANNING SECTIONS... 20 FIGURE 10: AERIAL VIEW OF MPP PLANNING SECTION A... 21 FIGURE 11: AERIAL VIEW OF MPP PLANNING SECTION B... 22 FIGURE 12: AERIAL VIEW OF MPP PLANNING SECTION C... 23 FIGURE 13: AERIAL VIEW OF MPP PLANNING SECTION D... 24 FIGURE 14: AERIAL VIEW OF MPP PLANNING SECTION E... 25 FIGURE 15: AERIAL VIEW OF MPP PLANNING SECTION F... 26 FIGURE 16: PRESERVATION LANDS SECTION A... 28 FIGURE 17: PRESERVATION LANDS SECTION B... 29 FIGURE 18: PRESERVATION LANDS SECTION C... 30 FIGURE 19: PRESERVATION LANDS SECTION D... 31 FIGURE 20: PRESERVATION LANDS SECTION E... 32 FIGURE 21: PRESERVATION LANDS SECTION F... 33 FIGURE 22: FRESHWATER SOURCES CITY OF PALM COAST... 35 FIGURE 23: PALM COAST WATER TREATMENT EFFLUENT DISCHARGE POINTS... 36 FIGURE 24: FRESHWATER SOURCES SECTION E... 37 FIGURE 25: MANATEE FORAGE MAP SECTION A... 39 FIGURE 26: MANATEE FORAGE MAP SECTION B... 40 FIGURE 27: MANATEE FORAGE MAP SECTION C... 41 FIGURE 28: MANATEE FORAGE MAP SECTION D... 42 FIGURE 29: MANATEE FORAGE MAP SECTION E... 43 FIGURE 30: MANATEE FORAGE MAP SECTION F... 44 FIGURE 31: TELEMETRY DATA MANATEE LOCATIONS, 1988-1997... 46 FIGURE 32: TELEMETRY DATA MANATEE LOCATIONS, 2005-2007... 48 FIGURE 33: AERIAL SURVEY MAP SECTION A... 50 FIGURE 34: AERIAL SURVEY MAP SECTION B... 51 FIGURE 35: AERIAL SURVEY MAP SECTION C... 52 FIGURE 36: AERIAL SURVEY MAP SECTION D... 53 Final Edition April 2016 Page V
FIGURE 37: AERIAL SURVEY MAP SECTION E... 54 FIGURE 38: SEASONAL OVERVIEW OF MANATEE SURVEYS... 55 FIGURE 39: FLAGLER COUNTY MANATEE MORTALITY CATEGORIES... 56 FIGURE 40: MANATEE MORTALITIES SECTION A... 58 FIGURE 41: MANATEE MORTALITIES SECTION B... 59 FIGURE 42: MANATEE MORTALITIES SECTION C... 60 FIGURE 43: MANATEE MORTALITIES SECTION D... 61 FIGURE 44: MANATEE MORTALITIES SECTION E... 62 FIGURE 45: MANATEE MORTALITIES SECTION F... 63 FIGURE 46: WATERCRAFT-RELATED MANATEE DEATHS PER DECADE... 68 FIGURE 47: BOATING DENSITY OVERVIEW... 75 FIGURE 48: OVERALL BOATING FACILITIES MAP... 78 FIGURE 49: BOATING FACILITIES SECTION A... 80 FIGURE 50: BOATING FACILITIES SECTION B... 82 FIGURE 51: BOATING FACILITIES SECTION C... 84 FIGURE 52: BOATING FACILITIES SECTION D... 87 FIGURE 53: BOATING FACILITIES SECTION E... 89 FIGURE 54: BOATING FACILITIES SECTION F... 90 FIGURE 55: BOAT FACILITY SITING RECOMMENDATIONS COUNTY OVERVIEW... 104 FIGURE 56: BOAT FACILITY SITING RECOMMENDATIONS MAP 1... 105 FIGURE 57: BOAT FACILITY SITING RECOMMENDATIONS MAP 2... 106 FIGURE 58: BOAT FACILITY SITING RECOMMENDATIONS MAP 3... 107 FIGURE 59: BOAT FACILITY SITING RECOMMENDATIONS MAP 4... 108 FIGURE 60: BOAT FACILITY SITING RECOMMENDATIONS MAP 5... 109 FIGURE 61: BOAT FACILITY SITING RECOMMENDATIONS MAP 6... 110 FIGURE 62: BOAT FACILITY SITING RECOMMENDATIONS MAP 7... 111 FIGURE 63: BOAT FACILITY SITING RECOMMENDATIONS MAP 8... 112 FIGURE 64: BOAT FACILITY SITING RECOMMENDATIONS MAP 9... 113 FIGURE 65: BOAT FACILITY SITING RECOMMENDATIONS MAP 10... 114 FIGURE 66: BOAT FACILITY SITING RECOMMENDATIONS MAP 11... 115 FIGURE 67: BOAT FACILITY SITING RECOMMENDATIONS MAP 12... 116 Final Edition April 2016 Page VI
LIST OF TABLES TABLE 1: MANATEE WATERWAY TYPES IN FLAGLER COUNTY... 18 TABLE 2: FLAGLER COUNTY MANATEE MORTALITY DATA, 1974-2013... 64 TABLE 3: BOAT REGISTRATION 2013 EAST COAST ATLANTIC COUNTIES... 69 TABLE 4: BOAT TYPES REGISTERED IN FLAGLER COUNTY 2013... 70 TABLE 5: BOATING ACCIDENT STATISTICS 2013... 70 TABLE 6: FLAGLER COUNTY BOATING ACCESS INVENTORY... 77 TABLE 7: FLAGLER COUNTY MPP RECOMMENDATIONS... 124 LIST OF APPENDICES APPENDIX 1: FUTURE BOAT FACILITY PROJECTS APPENDIX 2: FLAGLER COUNTY EDUCATIONAL INITIATIVES LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS BOCC Board of County Commissioners BFSP Boat Facility Siting Plan DLE Division of Law Enforcement FAC Florida Administrative Code FDEP Florida Department of Environmental Protection FDHSMV Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles FIND Florida Inland Navigation District FLUM Future Land Use Map FWRI Fish and Wildlife Research Institute FS Florida Statute FWC Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Final Edition April 2016 Page VII
ICW Intracoastal Waterway ITT International Telephone and Telegraph Corporation MML Mote Marine Laboratory MMPA Marine Mammal Protection Act MPP Manatee Protection Plan NMFS National Marine Fisheries Service NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration PWC Personal Watercraft (e.g., Jet Ski, Sea Doo) SAV Submerged Aquatic Vegetation SJRWMD St. Johns River Water Management District USACE U.S. Army Corps of Engineers USCG U.S. Coast Guard USFWS U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service LIST OF DEFINITIONS Boat See definition of Vessel. Boat Facility - a public or private structure or operation where boats are moored and/or launched from wet or dry boat slips, including commercial, recreational, private, and residential marinas and boat ramps. For the purpose of this plan, facilities and operations with less than five (5) wet slips are not considered boat facilities. Boat Ramp - a sloped natural surface, or man-made improvement to a shoreline area that facilitates the launching and landing of boats into a water body. Boat Slip - a boat slip is a space, mooring, or parking space which can accommodate one boat or vessel in the water or on land (examples include, lifts, trailers, anchorage, beached or blocked, hoist, floating platforms, davits). For the purposes of this plan, a boat trailer parking space is a boat slip. Temporary slips that do not contribute to boat traffic, such as courtesy slips for boat ramps and dry storage facilities, are exempt from the Boat Facility Siting Strategy. Structures authorized only for fishing or observation, are not considered slips. Final Edition April 2016 Page VIII
Boat Yard - a boat facility (wet or dry slips) used only for boat repair and/or boat building. Build-out - a term referring to maximum planned development for a community, in terms of the physical structures, use of land and approximate number of people which can be accommodated within the community. Channel of the Intracoastal Waterway - all waters within the navigable channel of the Intracoastal Waterway in Flagler County, Florida, and which navigable channel is a part of the inland waterways, and which said navigable channel is located by buoys or other markers placed by the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG). Comprehensive Plan - an official document in ordinance form adopted by the local government setting forth its goals, objectives and policies regarding the long term development of the area within its jurisdiction. Conservation Area Category Development on shoreline color-coded as conservation will be according to the policies of the entity managing the area if those policies have been documented in a management plan that has been reviewed and approved by the wildlife agencies as addressing potential impacts to manatees. If policies specifically addressing potential impacts to manatees have not been documented in the management plans, then development is recommended at a level of one slip for every 100 feet of shoreline. Proposals for watercraft access are not expected in these areas, which are primarily owned by governmental entities for conservation purposes. Dry Storage Facility - an upland structure, parking lot, or space used specifically for storing watercraft. Such as, but not limited to, in/out boat storage, boat repair, boat sales, or long term dry storage lots or facilities. For the purposes of this plan, a dry storage facility is considered a Boat Facility or part of a Boat Facility if the dry storage facility has the capability of launching vessels into adjacent waters or water access is provided adjacent to, or in close proximity to the facility. Existing Facility - For the purposes of this plan, the definition of an existing boat facility is 1) a facility that has produced boat traffic at some point within 10 years prior to the submittal date of an active request for authorization to renovate, modify or expand the facility; that has all required authorizations that clearly and accurately specify the number of slips; and has been constructed and operates with the type of use as authorized; or 2) a facility that has not been built but has all active, required authorizations that clearly and accurately specify the number of slips and the time Final Edition April 2016 Page IX
period has not exceeded 10 years from the date of the original permit/authorization. A request to modify a boat facility that does not meet the above definitions will be evaluated on a case by case basis by the wildlife agencies (FWC and/or USFWS) to assess the number of slips that may be recognized as existing, and whether the boat facility will be considered a new or existing facility for the purposes of the plan. Florida Manatee Management Plan - The FWC Manatee Management Plan (MMP) is a planning document that provides the framework for conserving and managing manatees in Florida. The plan addresses key tasks for the conservation of the Florida manatee and is complementary with the Federal Florida Manatee Recovery Plan (2001). Lane - a part of a boat ramp that allows for the launching and landing of one boat at a time. A boat ramp can have more than one lane. Linear Shoreline or Shoreline - the mean high water line in tidally influenced areas and the ordinary high water line along waterways that are not tidally influenced. Linear shoreline shall be calculated using survey quality aerial photographs or by accurate field survey. The calculation of linear shoreline is based upon contiguous shoreline that is owned or legally controlled by the applicant. Manatee Protection Plan a county specific management plan developed, approved and used by federal, state and local governments to ensure the long term protection of manatees and their habitat within what is defined as the County boundaries. Manatee Protection Zone An area established by federal, state, or local authority to protect manatees from harmful collisions with motorboats and from harassment; to protect manatee habitat from destruction by boats or other human activity; or to provide limited safe havens where manatees can rest, feed, reproduce, give birth, or nurse undisturbed by human activity. Marina, Commercial - a commercial watercraft complex on and/or adjacent to a waterway which provides services available to the general public including but not limited to: rental of wet slips or dry storage space and associated boat lifting and/or launching, boat rentals, sale of marine fuel and lubricants, wastewater pump-out facilities, sale of fishing bait and equipment, and/or charter boat operations. Additional services may include the construction, reconstruction, repair, or maintenance of boats, marine engines and/or marine equipment; sale or lease of watercraft and seafood processing. Final Edition April 2016 Page X
Marina, Residential - a watercraft complex containing five (5) or more wet slips located on a waterway used primarily for recreational purposes, and where vessel mooring is clustered in a common area, rather than docks located behind individual residences. No sales, fueling or repair facilities shall be associated with these marinas. A private residential marina contains wet slips and/or dry slips used only as accessory to a principal multi-family development use. A public/private residential marina has a portion of its wet slips and/or dry slips designated for rental by the general public, with the remaining wet slips and/or dry slips used accessory to a principal multi-family development use. Mean High Waterline - the intersection of the tidal plain or mean high water with the shore. Mean high water is the average height of high waters over a nineteen-year period. Moderate Category - Development on shoreline color-coded as Moderate is recommended at a level of up to five (5) slips for every 100 feet of shoreline owned or controlled by the applicant. For example: A site has 342 feet of shoreline. In order to calculate the allowable number of slips, 342 is rounded up to the next one hundred foot increment (400), then divided by 100 which equals 4. That number is multiplied by the slip to shoreline ratio (5). In this example, 20 would be the allowable number of slips. Mooring - a location where one vessel is berthed or stored in water when not in use. It can be at anchor, tied off to a buoy in a mooring field, or tied off to a pier, dock, piling, or other physical structure or on a davit or boatlift. Non-Preferred Category Development on shoreline color-coded as non-preferred is recommended at a level of one slip for every 100 feet of shoreline owned or controlled by the applicant. For example: A site has 442 feet of shoreline. In order to calculate the allowable number of slips, 442 is rounded up to the next one hundred foot increment (500), then divided by 100 which equals five (5). That number is multiplied by the slip to shoreline ratio one (1). In this example, five (5) would be the allowable number of slips. Preferred Category Color-coded shoreline where development is not restricted for the purpose of manatee protection. Other local, state, or federal restrictions may limit slip numbers for other reasons. Residential Multi-family Dock - a Boat Facility on a common riparian parcel that is intended to be used for private recreational or leisure purposes by persons or groups of persons with real property interest. Upland developments that may have a residential multi-family dock may include a duplex, a condominium, single-family residences Final Edition April 2016 Page XI
(attached or detached), or a development such as a single-family or mobile home subdivision. Riparian Rights - those rights incident to lands bordering upon navigable waters, as recognized by the courts and common law (Ch. 18-21.003(53), FAC). Single-Family Dock - a Boat Facility used for private recreational or leisure purposes that is located on a single-family riparian parcel or that is shared by two adjacent singlefamily riparian owners if located on their common riparian property line. The Boat Facility may contain wet slips and/or dry slips, and provide mooring for the sole recreational use of the residents of a detached single-family home, adjacent to a coastal water body. Residential Single-family docks with four (4) or less slips are exempt from the Boat Facility Siting Strategy, but must conform with all applicable federal, state and local regulations in place at the time of permit application. Temporary slip (or mooring) - Temporary slips that do not contribute to boat traffic, such as courtesy slips for boat ramps and dry storage facilities that are used only to facilitate boat launching and retrieval, are exempt from the Boat Facility Siting Strategy. Trailer - a trailer-type of mooring refers to a boat with trailer that was visible from a waterway. While this provides an estimate of trailered vessels in Flagler County, it is understood that the term is both subjective and provides only a rough estimate of trailered vessels in the County. Transient Slips - For the purposes of this plan, a slip that is used generally less than one day (but may include overnight or multiple-day use) and contributes to boat traffic. Examples include, but are not limited to: slips at non-fee public facilities (e.g., public parks, etc.), slips at facilities used for water-dependent public transportation (e.g., water taxis), and slips designated day-use slips at restaurants and hotels. Transient slips are counted when calculating slip densities. Travel Corridor - a waterway through which manatees travel, either daily or seasonally, between feeding areas and sources of fresh or warm-water, resting or feeding locations, or other habitat areas. Vessel (or boat or watercraft) - a vehicle designed for operation in the water that is propelled by sails or one or more electric, jet or internal combustion engine(s). These terms may refer to any size vessel including a personal watercraft, airboats, freighters or cruise ships, etc. For purposes of this plan, the word boat does not include humanpowered vessels, such as canoes or kayaks. Final Edition April 2016 Page XII
Warm-water Refuge - a natural or manmade warm-water habitat which maintains a temperature equal to or greater than minimum required for manatee survival (approximately 68F or 20C). Watercraft Access a location that provides boat access into the waterways of Flagler County such as docks, piers, marinas, boat ramps and associated trailer parking spaces, boat slips, boat lifts, floats, floating docks, pilings, boat davits, dry storage, etc. Waters navigable waters of the State of Florida. Final Edition April 2016 Page XIII
1.0 INTRODUCTION Flagler County is located in northeast Florida, south of St. Johns County and north of Volusia County (Figure 1). Flagler County s Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) is characterized by a significant percentage of conservation areas, or other areas currently limited from development of waterfront facilities. The length of the ICW in Flagler County is approximately 18.5 miles of waterway. The setting within Flagler County also includes approximately 19 miles of coastline along the Atlantic Ocean. The Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) inhabits the waters of the ICW year round. Manatees are most often observed from late April through early October with highest concentrations occurring during the spring and summer months (May through August). Fewer manatees are observed during the winter months (November through March). Florida manatees exhibit an array of activities in these waters including traveling, resting, foraging and cavorting/mating. Manatees are protected under Federal law through the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 (as amended in 1996) and the Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973, and by State law through the Florida Manatee Sanctuary Act (1978). In 1989, Florida's Governor and Cabinet identified counties experiencing excessive watercraftrelated manatee mortality and mandated that these counties take positive measures to reduce this problem. Specifically, thirteen key counties - Brevard, Broward, Citrus, Collier, Miami-Dade, Duval, Indian River, Lee, Martin, Palm Beach, St. Lucie, Sarasota, and Volusia - were to develop MPPs, which would address the multitude of threats facing manatees. Presently, all Key counties have state-approved MPPs in place. Flagler County was not identified as one of the Key Counties requiring a MPP in 1989. In response to concerns over increased watercraft-related manatee mortality in the County, Flagler County first began working on a county-wide MPP in October 2006. In 2007, the FWC identified Flagler County within the State s Manatee Management Plan (MMP) as an area with little or no manatee protection regulations and therefore would require evaluation to determine if manatee protection zones were warranted (FWC Florida Manatee Final Edition April 2016 Page 1
Management Plan, 2007). In 2012, Manatee Protection Zones were established in the County, and revised in 2016 to include additional areas of protection. As a next step in the protection of manatees, Flagler County, in coordination with FWC and USFWS developed this MPP. These manatee protection measures will help provide long term protection to the species necessary to offset impacts from additional boat traffic and future waterfront development. See Figure 1 for Flagler County s location and the location of counties which have approved MPP s. This MPP is intended to assist in protecting manatees and their habitats to ensure their continued survival. These objectives are derived from the USFWS' Florida Manatee Recovery Plan (Third Revision, October 2001), the Governor and Cabinet s 1989 directive to improve boating safety and manatee protection for Florida waterways, and the 2007 State of Florida Manatee Management Plan (MMP). Specific objectives include: reducing boat-related manatee mortality, creating a county-wide boat facility siting strategy, protecting manatee habitat, promoting boating safety, developing coordinated law enforcement efforts, and increasing public awareness of the need to protect manatees and their habitat. Among the components of this MPP are: Information on aquatic preserves, Outstanding Florida Waters, etc. Manatee protection measures, such as boating speed zone regulations Manatee aerial survey sightings, telemetry and mortality data assessment An inventory of boat facilities (marinas, docks, boat ramps, etc.) An assessment of boating activity patterns Future boat facility siting planning Law enforcement strategies An education and awareness program for the public, boaters, and children Recommendations and MPP implementation schedule The FWC and the USFWS utilize the MPP recommendations in their review of state and federal regulatory permits as commenting agencies. When approved, boat facility siting recommendations contained in this MPP will be used by FWC in their review of state regulatory permits and by USFWS when consulting with the USACE on future waterfront development projects during the federal permit process. Final Edition April 2016 Page 2
When approved by the resource agencies, this document fulfills the requirements for completion of a comprehensive Manatee Protection Plan in Flagler County. Figure 1: Location of Flagler County, Florida 1.1 Geographic Setting Flagler County lies in the northeastern part of Florida, about sixty miles south of Jacksonville and 25 miles north of Daytona Beach. Flagler County is about 23 miles wide at its widest point Final Edition April 2016 Page 3
east to west, and 29 miles long at its longest point north to south. The Atlantic Ocean beachfront area is approximately 19 miles long and forms the eastern county-boundary, and Crescent Lake forms a significant portion of its western boundary. In total, Flagler County occupies approximately 571 square miles consisting of approximately 485 square miles of land area and 86 square miles of water area. The County includes the incorporated cities of Beverly Beach, Bunnell, Flagler Beach, Marineland, and Palm Coast. The City of Bunnell, the county seat, is located at the approximate geographic center of the County at the junction of U.S. 1 and SR 100. Flagler County can be divided into three major geographic areas: the barrier island east of the ICW, the coastal area east of U.S. Highway 1 and the ICW, and western Flagler County west of U.S. Highway 1. 1.2 County Demographics The 2010 U.S. Census Bureau lists the population of Florida at 18,801,310 (48.9 percent male and 51.1 percent female). Of the 67 counties in Florida, Flagler County ranked 35th with a resident population of 95,996 people (0.5 percent of the state total, 48.0 percent male, 52.0 percent female) as of 2010. Of this 95,996 people, 75,180 live in the City of Palm Coast (78% of the total population). The remaining 22 percent of the residents live in the City of Bunnell, the City of Flagler Beach, the town of Marineland, the town of Beverly Beach, or unincorporated areas of the County. Countywide, 54.1 percent of the population is between the ages of 21 and 64, and 27.4 percent of the population is age 65 or greater. 1.3 Residential and Commercial Development within the County The coastal area east of U.S. Highway 1 contains portions of the cities of Bunnell and Palm Coast and the cities of Flagler Beach, Beverly Beach, and Marineland are located entirely east of the interstate (I-95). In addition to the incorporated areas, there are five areas of unincorporated Flagler County that include the planned communities of Plantation Bay, Matanzas Shores, Palm Coast Plantation and Hammock Dunes; and unincorporated Painters Hill and Hammock areas along A1A. Presumably, most of the urban development activity in Flagler County has occurred in this area due to the following factors: The traditional development pattern of the Florida Atlantic coast Final Edition April 2016 Page 4
Flagler County s attractive natural resources and recreation opportunities A relatively affordable supply of housing within a reasonable commute to employment opportunities in other counties A developed and connected roadway system providing access to SR A1A, Interstate 95, U.S.1, SR 100, and the Palm Coast Parkway Current land development patterns show that most of the residential development in the coastal area is occurring in the City of Palm Coast and surrounding unincorporated areas where central water and sewer facilities are available. Other residential development occurs in the incorporated areas of Flagler Beach, Beverly Beach or Bunnell, and older, small subdivisions or isolated single-family residences are found along A1A, SR 100, Old Dixie Highway, Old Kings Road and John Anderson Highway. There are many factors that have resulted in the residential development of the coastal area. The primary reason is the aforementioned close proximity to the Atlantic Ocean and the Intracoastal Waterway. Additionally, there are numerous parks and recreational facilities and a growing commercial base in Palm Coast. The coastal area also contains numerous opportunities for business development and excellent schools. The Flagler coastal area is characterized by an overall low-density residential land use pattern. The eastern seaboard of Florida has traditionally experienced growth because of tourism, retirement, and proximity to the ocean and ICW. Flagler County has traditionally been a tourism and retirement destination. Given the changes in the global economy, Flagler County now has additional attributes (proximity to I-95, Florida East Coast rail line, close proximity to Jacksonville and Orlando) that could be alluring for development of industrial and technological uses. The region of Flagler County west of US 1 occupies approximately over 60 percent of the total land area. This area is characterized by farming and timber production. Small rural communities that have existed for many years include St. Johns Park, Espanola, Haw Creek and Cody s Corner. Rural subdivisions (one acre minimum) include Flagler Estates, Daytona North and Smokerise. The ICW in Flagler County begins just north of the Town of Marineland at Mile Marker 796. From Marineland south for about 15 miles, the ICW is a land cut waterway with the first four to five miles presently fairly sparsely developed. About five miles south of Marineland, the ICW Final Edition April 2016 Page 5
runs through the City of Palm Coast. Palm Coast is known for its extensive canal system allowing residential access to the ICW. Following the ICW southward, it passes through the towns of Beverly Beach and Flagler Beach and then flows into Volusia County. There is no inlet in Flagler County, the closest one being approximately three miles north of Marineland at Matanzas Inlet in St. Johns County. The closest ocean access by water south of Flagler County is at Ponce Inlet in Volusia County, a distance of approximately 26 miles. 1.4 Manatee Relevant Waterways, Water Quality and Recreation Overall, the ICW is a brackish, estuarine system along the length of Flagler County. The water column is characterized by ocean (salt) water inputs from the inlets north and south of the county and with freshwater inputs from the uplands to the west, from the canal residential areas in Palm Coast and Flagler Beach and from rainwater. Significant sources of natural freshwater from upland drainage to the ICW in Flagler County include Pellicer Creek in the extreme north portion of the county and Long s Creek about five miles to the south of Pellicer Creek. Long s Creek is closely adjacent to major urban areas of Palm Coast. No freshwater springs or other significant point-sources of freshwater are documented within the ICW in Flagler County. The mouth of Pellicer Creek located adjacent to the Pellicer Creek Aquatic Preserve provides a freshwater input to the Northern portion of the ICW via a large tidal lagoon system, part of which is within the Pellicer Creek Aquatic Preserve. The mouth of Long Creek is similar morphologically although it runs through a residential area of Palm Coast that is considerably more developed than that of Pellicer Creek and its surrounding areas. The ICW south of Jacksonville and south to Fort Pierce was designed and built to be 12 feet deep by 125 feet wide to allow for safe, protected shipping lanes and recreation. Flagler County s climate and water temperature is favorable for recreational boating, and this activity occurs primarily along the ICW. Recreational opportunities along the ICW in Flagler County include fishing, picnicking, sunbathing, swimming, sightseeing, water skiing or similar recreational activities. An additional relevant manatee waterway is the portion of Lake Crescent and Dead Lake which are located within the boundaries of Flagler County. Though no manatee surveys have been performed for Lake Crescent, manatees are observed regularly within the lake and Dunns Creek. Dunns Creek flows from the SJR in Putnam County into Lake Crescent and provides a Final Edition April 2016 Page 6
navigable waterway for manatees to travel into the lake. Dead Lake is attached to Lake Crescent and receives flow from Bull Creek. Haw Creek also drains into Lake Crescent within Flagler County and is designated as an OFW. Lake Crescent is known for its premier largemouth bass and speckled perch fishing. Large beds of tapegrass (Vallisneria americana), also known as eelgrass, thrive along the shoreline of Lake Crescent and Dead Lake when water quality conditions are favorable. The beds expand and contract on a regular basis depending on rainfall amounts. Tapegrass is a freshwater submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) that provides a primary source of forage for manatees in the SJR system. 1.5 Manatee Protection Zones Approximately 5.4 miles of Flagler County s ICW has Manatee Protection Zones established, including approximately 3.2 miles of shore-to-shore, seasonal Slow Speed Zones. In 2012, seasonal FWC manatee protection zones, including 2.7 miles of shore-to-shore Slow Speed zones on the ICW were implemented. These zones became enforceable in 2013 when regulatory markers were posted on the water. In 2016, an approximately 0.5 mile length of the Slow Speed Zone on the ICW adjacent to Lehigh Canal was approved by FWC as a shore-toshore zone. The other ICW zones are located in the vicinity of the Hammock Dunes Bridge, the Flagler Beach Bridge, and the southern end of the county near Gamble Rogers State Park. The speed zone that was created in and around the Hammock Dunes/ Palm Coast Parkway Bridge encompasses approximately 0.6 miles of navigable ICW. The speed zones around the Flagler Beach/SR 100 Bridge affect approximately 2.7 miles of navigable ICW. The most southern zones start at the Flagler County border and affect approximately 2.1 miles on the navigable ICW. All manatee speed zones are in effect from May 1 through September 7, when manatees are most likely to be present. A good resource for information about Manatee Protection Zones in the area is http://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/managed/manatee/protection-zones/ The current Manatee Protection Zones are depicted in Figures 2-6. Final Edition April 2016 Page 7
Figure 2: Manatee Protection Zones. Source: FWC Final Edition April 2016 Page 8
Figure 3: Manatee Protection Zone Section B & C. Source: FWC Final Edition April 2016 Page 9
Figure 4: Manatee Protection Zone Section D. Source: FWC Final Edition April 2016 Page 10
Figure 5: Manatee Protection Zone Section E. Source: FWC Final Edition April 2016 Page 11
Figure 6: 2016 Addition to Manatee Protection Zones 1.6 Manatee Natural History in Florida The Florida Manatee is one of two subspecies of the West Indian Manatee that ranges from Brazil to Mexico and the Southeastern United States and Caribbean. The Florida manatee s range for most of the year includes slow-moving waters in coastal estuaries and rivers Final Edition April 2016 Page 12
throughout the southeast. However, in the colder months manatee survival is dependent on water temperatures that are generally above 68 degrees Fahrenheit, and most manatees aggregate at warm-water refuges once temperatures approach 68 degrees Fahrenheit (Laist DW and Reynolds JE, 2005a). Natural warm-water refuges include springs that have a consistent output of water at a temperature of approximately 72 degrees Fahrenheit and thermal basins which are areas with slow, local cooling processes which temporarily retain warmer water during colder weather. Some researchers believe that the historic winter habitat for the manatee was south of Sebastian Inlet on the east coast and Charlotte Harbor on the west coast (Laist DW and Reynolds JE, 2005a). Anthropogenic warm-water refuge sites, such as effluents produced by power plants, have allowed manatee adaptation into some northern areas of the state. Manatees are well known and documented to having congregated at the warm-water effluent sites of up to 10 power plants throughout the state which is believed to have altered their historic winter range (Laist DW and Reynolds JE, 2005b). Flagler County has no known warm water refuge sites, and water temperatures during the winter months are not adequate to sustain manatees. Warm water springs are found along the SJR (though not in Flagler County), and Lake Crescent is presumably used by manatees passing through the area on the way to and from warm water springs such as Blue Spring in Volusia County. 1.7 Land Development Review In general, Flagler County and the municipalities in the County rely on state and federal regulations and permitting criteria to protect the natural resources of the shoreline. The County and each municipality have, or share, Land Development Code standards that allow them to regulate activities on planned development sites. State and/or federal regulations provide protection for wetlands, and permits must be obtained for projects that involve water management systems and/or discharges from these systems into jurisdictional waters. Regulations also dictate conditions concerning the construction of vertical bulkheads and other erosion control structures that could affect shoreline vegetation. The majority of the submerged lands in Flagler County that are accessible to manatees are lands that are owned or controlled by the State of Florida, also known as sovereign submerged lands. Projects on/over submerged lands (sovereign or non-sovereign) are reviewed by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) and the St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD) for compliance with various environmental and public interest Final Edition April 2016 Page 13
criteria and in many instances must be approved by the Governor and Cabinet, sitting as Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund. Additionally, projects on/over waters of the state are reviewed by the USACE for consistency with Section 404 of the Clean Water Act and Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899. During the federal permitting process, the USACE consults with other federal agencies such as the USFWS, NMFS, and USCG. During the state permitting process, FDEP and/or SJRWMD consults with FWC in regards to fish and wildlife. In addition to these state and federal reviews, Flagler County and the City of Palm Coast have developed and implemented an approval process through which proposed projects must be reviewed and approved by the County and/or City prior to construction. 1.8 Manatee Protection Plan Objective A key component of manatee protection is the protection of habitat; as such, management resources should be focused on identifying and protecting the highest quality habitat that is used by manatees in Flagler County. It is equally important to understand how manatees use the available habitat in Flagler County to implement effective management and protection measures. The objective of this plan is to allow for reasonable recreational and commercial use of Flagler County s Intracoastal Waterway while balancing the protection of manatees. Final Edition April 2016 Page 14
2.0 FLAGLER COUNTY MANATEE HABITAT 2.1 Aquatic Preserves and Outstanding Florida Waters Flagler County has two primary estuarine areas. The Matanzas Estuary and the Bulow Creek portion of the Tomoka Marsh Aquatic Preserve receive freshwater from Pellicer Creek and Bulow Creek, respectively (Figure 7). Both Pellicer Creek and Bulow Creek are aquatic preserves. The Florida manatee is a summer resident of the area, traveling in the Matanzas River, Bulow Creek, Halifax and Tomoka Rivers. Pellicer Creek flows into the Matanzas River, which is part of the Intracoastal Waterway. The Matanzas River provides on-water access to the Atlantic Ocean by way of the Matanzas Inlet, located approximately 2.5 miles north of Pellicer Creek and Flagler County. Human modification of the existing inlets has allowed saline water to mix with fresh water, creating the estuarine environment that now exists. Matanzas Inlet is the only natural, uncontrolled inlet in Florida and one of the few on the east coast of the United States. Pellicer Creek is part of the northern watershed in the Upper East Coastal Basin. The majority of the watershed in this basin is drained by relatively small creeks or branches. From the Matanzas River lagoon area, the flow of water eventually empties into the Atlantic Ocean by way of the Matanzas Inlet. The undisturbed salt marsh portrays one of the most pristine estuarine/riverine systems along Florida's east coast providing exceptional biological and aesthetic value to the state and resulting in its designation as a State Canoe Trail. The northern limits of the Tomoka Marsh Aquatic Preserve include portions of Smith Creek and Bulow Creek in Flagler County. Smith Creek is a shallow, estuarine creek with numerous oyster beds. Portions of the natural channel of the creek were dredged to accommodate the ICW. The remaining natural channel is primarily salt marsh, interspersed with small islands, both natural and created. Bulow Creek is a shallow meandering waterway bordered by marsh and floodplain hardwood trees. Final Edition April 2016 Page 15
Figure 7: ICW Aquatic Preserves and Outstanding Florida Waters A portion of Lake Crescent is considered an OFW where the Haw Creek flows into the lake (Figure 8). The lake, along with the creeks which flow into it, contain seasonally large beds of tapegrass (also known as eelgrass). Manatees forage on tapegrass throughout the SJR system. Final Edition April 2016 Page 16
Figure 8: Lake Crescent Outstanding Florida Waters 2.2 Manatee Waterways in Flagler County The ICW in Flagler County spans approximately 18 miles from the St. Johns/Flagler county line to the Flagler/Volusia county line. Final Edition April 2016 Page 17
The ICW in Flagler County is comprised of the southern end of the Matanzas River in the northern portion of Flagler County and averages around 400 feet wide from bank to bank. The dredged portion of the ICW beginning just north of Palm Coast averages 300 feet wide bank to bank. In the southern reaches of Flagler County, the ICW returns to a more natural river system as the northern portion of the Halifax River and widens. The channel in the ICW was dredged to 10 feet depth and 125 feet width in the 1960 s and has been periodically maintained with dredging in the intervening years. There is no documented presence of significant seagrass beds along the ICW in Flagler County but some manatee forage opportunity does exist in the form of marsh grasses and other vegetation that are accessible during high tides. Throughout the ICW and the extensive marsh systems and canal systems in Flagler County, there exists potential for manatee habitat, especially as a travel corridor. Much of the high marsh found to the west of the ICW can be considered manatee habitat as manatee access to those areas is dependent on limited-depth feeder channels and extreme high-tide occurrences. The canal systems in Palm Coast and Flagler Beach function as manatee habitat in as much as it serves as a travel corridor and resting area, but consistent fresh, warm water nor a dependable, long-term food source are available in the canal areas. The canals are also utilized by manatees for nursing and calving of young. Table 1 below documents the amount of linear feet and miles and the total percent of shoreline type found in the county. Table 1: Manatee Waterway Types in Flagler County. Data Source: Flagler County Property Appraiser Shoreline Type Total Linear Ft Total Miles Percent of Total Intracoastal Waterway 191,519 36.3 22% Marina 15,325 2.9 2% Canal 336,325 63.7 40% Natural Waterway 95,672 18.1 11% Tidal 104,681 19.8 12% Lake Crescent 106,743 20.2 13% Total 850,265 161.0 100% Final Edition April 2016 Page 18
During the FWC speed zone rulemaking process, five waterway regions which segregate areas (sections) were created for mapping and data analysis. For consistency, these areas were also used in the development of this MPP for the purpose of mapping and data analysis, and include: Section A Marineland and Matanzas River, Section B Palm Coast, Section C Fox Cut, Section D Smith Creek North of SR 100, and Section E Smith Creek South of SR 100. Lake Crescent was not assessed by the FWC during the rulemaking process, but has been included as Section F Lake Crescent to assess this area for boat facility siting. An overview of the planning sections is identified in Figure 9, and specific aerials of each section are identified in Figures 10-15. Descriptions of each region can be found in Sections 3.5.4 through 3.5.9. Final Edition April 2016 Page 19
Figure 9: Overview of MPP Planning Sections Final Edition April 2016 Page 20
Figure 10: Aerial View of MPP Planning Section A Final Edition April 2016 Page 21
Figure 11: Aerial View of MPP Planning Section B Final Edition April 2016 Page 22
Figure 12: Aerial View of MPP Planning Section C Final Edition April 2016 Page 23
Figure 13: Aerial View of MPP Planning Section D Final Edition April 2016 Page 24
Figure 14: Aerial View of MPP Planning Section E Final Edition April 2016 Page 25
Figure 15: Aerial View of MPP Planning Section F Final Edition April 2016 Page 26
2.3 Flagler County Preservation Lands Flagler County s ICW is characterized by a significant percentage of conservation areas, or other areas limited from development of waterfront facilities. The length of waterfront on the ICW in Flagler County is approximately 37 miles when measuring each side of the 18.5 mile length of the waterway. There are 14.9 miles (40%) of waterfront properties facing the ICW that are limited from future waterfront facility development. Factors that drive this analysis include ownership and use as state, county, or city parks, ownership by the Florida Inland Navigation District, and areas controlled that are affected by conservation easement and deed restrictions. Also, the entirety of Bulow Creek from the Volusia/Flagler line through to its navigable northern extent have had private docks banned by County ordinance. Along Lake Crescent, the Dunns Creek State Park provides protection to the connection of Lake Crescent from the SJR, and the Haw Creek Preserve and Lake Crescent Conservation Area protect the major floodplain system of Haw Creek which enters Lake Crescent from the southeast. Figures 16-21 document the Preservation Lands found within Flagler County. Flagler County currently has management plans in place for many of its preservation lands which are found along its waterways. As part of these management plans the County continues to identify appropriate restoration projects and invasive/exotic plant and wildlife species management opportunities within the preserves. Preservation lands such as Princess Place Preserve, River to Sea Preserve, Betty Steflik Memorial Park, Bulow Creek Park, and Haw Creek Preserve are currently managed by Flagler County. Each preserve provides opportunities to restore native landscapes, including saltmarsh, which will provide a higher quality resource to manatees. Restoration project are currently being categorized by the County and projects will occur as funding becomes available. Final Edition April 2016 Page 27
Figure 16: Preservation Lands Section A Final Edition April 2016 Page 28
Figure 17: Preservation Lands Section B Final Edition April 2016 Page 29
Figure 18: Preservation Lands Section C Final Edition April 2016 Page 30
Figure 19: Preservation Lands Section D Final Edition April 2016 Page 31
Figure 20: Preservation Lands Section E Final Edition April 2016 Page 32
Figure 21: Preservation Lands Section F Final Edition April 2016 Page 33
2.4 Freshwater Availability along the ICW in Flagler County Availability of freshwater appears to be an important factor in determining sustainable manatee habitat although it is not clear if the access to freshwater sources is necessary for manatee survival. Manatees appear to be capable of assimilation of sufficient freshwater for survival through diet but manatees are attracted to areas of freshwater (both natural and anthropogenic) and have been observed doing so regularly throughout the state. Manatees in estuarine or marine environments regularly seek freshwater sources to drink, such as creeks or industrial outfalls (Lefebvre et al., 2001). Significant sources of natural freshwater from upland drainage to the Intracoastal Waterway in Flagler County include Pellicer Creek in the extreme north portion of the county and Long s Creek about 5 miles to the south. Both of these freshwater source areas are found within large conservation areas. It is likely that smaller, insignificant sources from seeps and small drainage creeks exist along the ICW. Also, extensive canal systems and mosquito drainage ditches throughout the City of Palm Coast and Flagler Beach contribute some freshwater drainage to the ICW. There is no documentation of freshwater springs located along the ICW in Flagler County. The freshwater component of flow from Pellicer and Long s Creek freshwater systems occur as a mixed salt and freshwater inflow (brackish water) to the ICW in habitat that is likely too shallow to provide meaningful manatee occurrence based on the extensive tidal flats and shallow oyster reefs that exist between the larger creeks and the ICW. The urban canals in Palm Coast and Flagler Beach are, for the most part, armored with seawalls and freshwater is from anthropogenic sources like garden hoses, stormwater runoff, and sprinkler systems. The City of Palm Coast operates three water treatment plants which have the ability to discharge concentrate from the treatment process into the ICW (see Figure 22 for location). This section contains two water treatment discharge locations. There had been concern that these discharges could become a warm water and/or freshwater attractant for manatees. The City of Palm Coast is presently monitoring the outfall near the Hammock Dunes Bridge for ambient water temperature, salinity, and manatee observance at the outfall as part of the FDEP wastewater permit. If manatees are found to be utilizing this outfall then the City will be required to follow up with FWC and FWS to provide additional assurances the outfall will not Final Edition April 2016 Page 34
negatively affect manatees. Figure 23 demonstrates the location of Palm Coast s two discharge points, both of which are located within the manatee protection speed zones. Figure 22: Freshwater Sources City of Palm Coast Final Edition April 2016 Page 35
Figure 23: Palm Coast Water Treatment Effluent Discharge Points Final Edition April 2016 Page 36
Figure 24: Freshwater Sources Section E In addition to the freshwater sources found within the ICW, Lake Crescent is a freshwater lake associated with the SJR. Lake Crescent receives water from multiple creeks, canals, wetlands, and sheet flow after rain events. The SAV coverage found within Lake Crescent and associated Final Edition April 2016 Page 37
water bodies fluctuates in density depending on water quality factors associated with the amount of water entering the system (Sagan, 2007). 2.5 Forage Opportunities for Manatees in Flagler County Manatees favor calm, shallow, warm near-shore marine, estuarine, and freshwater systems in Florida and forage primarily on submerged aquatic vegetation found throughout (Reid JP, Rathbun GB, and Wilcox JR, 1991). They have demonstrated tendencies to return to the same warm-water sites and forage sites annually and will congregate at these sites for foraging or warm-water refuge (Deutsch CJ, Reid JP, Bonde RK, Easton DE, Kochman HI, and O Shea TJ, 2003). The abundance of SAV appears to be a factor in influencing manatee distribution and in general, characterizes preferred manatee habitat and aggregation areas (Hartman, 1974). Similarly, manatees are limited to near-shore marine environments where the presence of aquatic macrophytes are limited by sunlight attenuation at relatively shallow depths in marine environments. Research has shown that manatees demonstrate a preference for shallow seagrass beds adjacent to deep water access and that disproportionately large numbers of cow-calf pairs are likely in such habitat (Hartman, 1979). There are no known seagrass beds in Flagler County and as such the lack of a stable food supply contributes to the use of the area by some manatees as a migratory corridor. While the ICW area may not have seagrass, manatees will consume other types of vegetation such as emergent salt marsh cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora) and other shoreline vegetation or floating vegetation, where it is accessible to them. Large beds of tapegrass thrive along the shoreline of Lake Crescent and Dead Lake when water quality conditions are favorable (Sagan, 2007). The beds expand and contract on a regular basis. Tapegrass is a freshwater SAV that provides significant forage for manatees along the SJR. A St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD) study of SAV within the Lower SJR and associated waterbodies, including Lake Crescent, documented the extreme variations in SAV within Lake Crescent during the time period of 1996-2007. SAV coverage within the lake is directly correlated to light attenuation. During the study period, SAV bed coverage was less than 10% during the years with droughts (1999-2001 and 2006-2008) and following hurricanes (2004). Then in the years following these events, water quality conditions returned to optimum and SAV bed coverages averaged 74% (Sagan, 2007). Final Edition April 2016 Page 38
The saltmarsh areas within Flagler County are documented on Figures 25-29. The documented SAV locations within Lake Crescent are found on Figure 30. Figure 25: Manatee Forage Map Section A. Source: FWC-FWRI Final Edition April 2016 Page 39
Figure 26: Manatee Forage Map Section B. Source: FWC-FWRI Final Edition April 2016 Page 40
Figure 27: Manatee Forage Map Section C. Source: FWC-FWRI Final Edition April 2016 Page 41
Figure 28: Manatee Forage Map Section D. Source: FWC-FWRI Final Edition April 2016 Page 42
Figure 29: Manatee Forage Map Section E. Source: FWC-FWRI Final Edition April 2016 Page 43
Figure 30: Manatee Forage Map Section F. Source: SJRWMD Final Edition April 2016 Page 44
3.0 INFORMATION ASSESSMENT 3.1 Manatee Distribution The distribution of manatees in Flagler County is generally correlated with water temperatures, which is dependent on the time of year. This is due to water temperatures in the ICW and Lake Crescent only being conducive to manatees during the late spring through early fall time period, and due to the fact that no known warm water sources of refuge are located within the ICW or Lake Crescent in Flagler County. Warm water attractants, such as springs (Welaka, Salt, Silver Glen, Blue, DeLeon, etc.) that attract manatees in large numbers are found both north and south of Flagler County along the SJR. From Coastal Flagler County, the nearest industrial warm water site to the south would be Florida Power and Light s Cape Canaveral Plant in Brevard County. This distance to warm water refugia along with the lack of seagrass, no significant freshwater attractants, and findings of the aerial and telemetry surveys leads to the assumption that manatee presence in Flagler County is mostly transient (migratory). The canal systems of the cities of Palm Coast and Flagler Beach are known to be utilized by manatees for nursing and calving. This use is supported by the high numbers of perinatal deaths documented within the canal systems of the cities of Palm Coast and Flagler Beach, along with the findings of the aerial surveys and telemetry data. No technical literature or specific surveys have been completed, but the compiled data, and found within this document, suggests this use by manatees in Flagler County. Two sources of information were used for documenting manatee distribution, telemetry and aerial surveys. The telemetry reviewed was based on the Manatee East Coast Telemetry Dataset. This telemetry dataset documented movement patterns which were collected from a total of 78 manatees, tagged and monitored for varying amounts of time between 1988 and 1997. Of the 78 total manatees monitored, 10 were documented utilizing the ICW and other connected navigable waterways of Flagler County during this time period. Please see Figure 31 below for an overview of the locations of manatees documented by the telemetry dataset. Aerial surveys of the ICW were completed between the years 2005 to 2007. The aerial surveys documented countywide manatee distribution on a per flight basis, with generally two flights conducted per month over this time period. The aerial surveys confirmed the findings of the telemetry data, both of which document manatee usage throughout Flagler County s ICW and other connected navigable waterways with higher use during the warmer months of the year. Final Edition April 2016 Page 45
Figure 31: Telemetry Data Manatee Locations, 1988-1997. Source: USGS The Manatee East Coast Telemetry data did not document manatee use in Lake Crescent and no aerial surveys have been completed. Since no manatee aerial surveys have been completed Final Edition April 2016 Page 46
for the Lake Crescent area of the SJR, additional manatee telemetry data was reviewed to evaluate potential manatee use for this area. Manatee telemetry data obtained from Sea to Shore Alliance (S2S) shows some warm season use of Lake Crescent by manatees. This organization is responsible for tracking and monitoring manatees that are released back into the wild, following rehabilitation. This work, as part of the Manatee Rehabilitation Partnership, helps to document that rehabilitated manatees are acclimating back into their natural habitats successfully. While a number of the manatees tracked by S2S transited the waters off the entrance waterbody to Lake Crescent, two male manatees did show extensive use of this waterbody in June/July 2005 and June 2007 and were sometimes noted as being accompanied by up to four other manatees (Ross, 2015). This is an indication that these animals are using waterways similarly to other wild manatees. Given the time spent in the area and the available forage, it is reasonable to assume that manatees may use the lake for foraging in addition to other behaviors such as traveling, resting, and socializing. With documented manatee use of natural springs in the general area, such as Welaka Spring, and those farther to the south (Salt Spring, Silver Glen Spring, Blue Spring, etc.), this area may receive frequent use and further documentation may come through the follow-up tracking of other manatees along the St. Johns River. Figure 32 documents the manatee telemetry data from Sea to Shore Alliance, which is tracking data for two male manatees that used Lake Crescent (2005 and 2007). For more information on the Sea to Shore Alliance manatee tracking please see their website, http://sea2shore.org/focal-species/manatees/united-states/tracking-manatees/ Final Edition April 2016 Page 47
Figure 32: Telemetry Data Manatee Locations, 2005-2007. Source: Ross, 2015 3.2 Aerial Surveys The FWC Fish and Wildlife Research Institute (FWRI) completed aerial manatee surveys of coastal Flagler County to help understand the spatial and temporal distribution of manatees in the ICW area. The aerial surveys were flown by FWC staff twice a month for two years, from Final Edition April 2016 Page 48
November 2005 through September 2007 (FWC- FWRI, 2005-2007). A total of 47 survey flights were flown throughout the two year survey period. Each flight surveyed approximately 8.7 square kilometers of Flagler County coastal waters. Aerial surveys have been the most reliable data collection technique for the determination of relative manatee abundance and distribution (Hartman, 1979; Irvine and Campbell, 1978; Packard et al., 1986; Ackerman, 1995). Observations can be used to generally assess the relative abundance and distribution of manatees at the time the survey was flown. As a result, counts must be viewed as relative only to trends in general abundance, countywide distribution, and habitat use patterns (Irvine AB andcampbell HW, 1978). Sight obstructions such as tree canopy cover, wind and wave action, surface glare, and water clarity may inhibit the sighting of manatees during aerial surveys. However, the number of manatees sighted during aerial surveys and the frequency of manatee sightings may reflect the value of an area to manatees for foraging, resting, calving, and traveling. The aerial surveys documented the transient nature of manatee movement through coastal Flagler County waters. No aerial surveys have been completed for Lake Crescent. The manatee sightings from the 2005-2007 surveys are depicted in the Figures 33-37. The aerial surveys also documented that manatee use primarily occurs in Flagler County during the warmer months. Of the 47 flights, no manatees were observed in the months of December, January, or February. Only 6 manatees were observed in the month of November. The numbers increased slightly during the months of March, April, September, and October with total manatee counts of 16, 15, 14 and 14, respectively for those months. The months of May through August saw higher numbers of total manatees each month, as anticipated with warmer waters. Please see Figure 38 for a graph of the seasonal variation of manatees observed during the 2005-2007 aerial surveys. Manatee counts were highest within planning Section D. Final Edition April 2016 Page 49
Figure 33: Aerial Survey Map Section A. Data Source: FWC-FWRI Final Edition April 2016 Page 50
Figure 34: Aerial Survey Map Section B. Data Source: FWC-FWRI Final Edition April 2016 Page 51
Figure 35: Aerial Survey Map Section C. Data Source: FWC-FWRI Final Edition April 2016 Page 52
Figure 36: Aerial Survey Map Section D. Data Source: FWC-FWRI Final Edition April 2016 Page 53
Figure 37: Aerial Survey Map Section E. Data Source: FWC-FWRI Final Edition April 2016 Page 54
Figure 38: Seasonal Overview of Manatee Surveys. Data Source: FWC-FWRI Manatee Sightings (2005-2007) Number of Manatees Observed 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 3.3 Manatee Mortality Manatee carcasses have been routinely recovered and examined by either state or federal entities since 1974. A Manatee Carcass Salvage Program was initiated by federal entities, and that program was transferred to the State of Florida in July 1986. In 1992, a dedicated state laboratory and necropsy facility was constructed to perform post-mortem examinations. Currently, staff from four field stations collect most carcasses from Florida and transport them to the FWC Marine Mammal Pathobiology Laboratory (MMPL) in St. Petersburg, Florida or examine identified carcasses in the field. Manatee mortality in Flagler County has been observed within the ICW and in smaller natural and man-made tributaries and canals and Crescent Lake. Also, eight (8) manatee mortalities were reported in the Atlantic Ocean since 1974. Final Edition April 2016 Page 55
Figure 39: Flagler County Manatee Mortality Categories. Data Source: FWC-FWRI Figure 39 provides graphic representation of manatee mortality categories for Flagler County. There have been a total of eighty-five reported manatee mortalities between 1974 and 2013 in Flagler County. Perinatal deaths account for approximately 46 percent (39 total) of manatee mortality in Flagler County. Mortalities attributed to watercraft collisions account for 19 percent (16 total) of reported mortalities. One percent (1 total) of mortality was attributed to other human related activities (non-watercraft related). Mortalities attributed to cold stress account for 11 percent (9 total) of the reported mortalities. Mortalities attributed to natural causes account for 8 percent (7 total) of the reported mortalities. Mortalities attributed to undetermined causes account for 15 percent (13 total) of the reported mortalities. Sixteen (16) watercraft-related deaths have been documented in Flagler County waters between 1974 and 2013. One of the watercraft-related deaths in May 2007 was a known vessel Final Edition April 2016 Page 56
strike from a 24-26 foot vessel and was recovered south of the SR100 Bridge. The locations of all verified manatee deaths in Flagler County between 1974 and 2013 are illustrated below in Figures 40-45. Table 2 documents each manatee mortality identified on the maps with the date of recovery, sex, cause of death, and size of the manatee. Maps displaying the spatial distribution of recovered carcasses should be approached with caution because carcass recovery locations may only represent points of recovery, not necessarily locations where animals were injured or died. Final Edition April 2016 Page 57
Figure 40: Manatee Mortalities Section A. Data Source: FWC - FWRI Final Edition April 2016 Page 58
Figure 41: Manatee Mortalities Section B. Data Source: FWC FWRI Final Edition April 2016 Page 59
Figure 42: Manatee Mortalities Section C. Data Source: FWC FWRI Final Edition April 2016 Page 60
Figure 43: Manatee Mortalities Section D. Data Source: FWC FWRI Final Edition April 2016 Page 61
Figure 44: Manatee Mortalities Section E. Data Source: FWC - FWRI Final Edition April 2016 Page 62
Figure 45: Manatee Mortalities Section F. Data Source: FWC - FWRI Final Edition April 2016 Page 63
Table 2: Flagler County Manatee Mortality Data, 1974-2013. Data Source: FWC-FWRI Map ID Reported Date Sex Cause of Death Carcass Length (cm) 1 2/19/1989 M Natural: Other (includes red tide) 233 2 1/5/2004 F Natural: Cold Stress (beginning in 1986) 219 3 7/3/2005 M Undetermined: Too decomposed 352 4 12/6/1992 F Human Related: Other 208 5 1/18/1996 M Natural: Cold Stress (beginning in 1986) 234 6 2/9/1996 M Natural: Other (includes red tide) 175 7 10/17/2008 U Undetermined: Too decomposed 178 8 5/12/1990 F Human Related: Watercraft collision 279 9 1/11/1995 M Human Related: Watercraft collision 263 10 4/21/1992 F Perinatal (<= 150 cm) 108 11 5/7/2003 F Perinatal (<= 150 cm) 114 12 7/19/2004 M Perinatal (<= 150 cm) 152 13 5/14/1995 F Natural: Other (includes red tide) 308 14 5/12/1995 M Perinatal (<= 150 cm) 135 15 5/13/1995 F Perinatal (<= 150 cm) 147 16 7/26/2000 F Perinatal (<= 150 cm) 128 17 5/13/2008 F Perinatal (<= 150 cm) 149 18 5/7/2003 M Perinatal (<= 150 cm) 102 19 5/7/1999 M Perinatal (<= 150 cm) 123 20 7/21/2002 M Perinatal (<= 150 cm) 133 21 11/20/2010 M Perinatal (<= 150 cm) 133 22 8/20/2007 M Perinatal (<= 150 cm) 125 Final Edition April 2016 Page 64
23 9/28/2001 F Perinatal (<= 150 cm) 135 24 10/3/2012 F Undetermined: Too Decomposed 131 25 3/10/2007 M Natural: Cold Stress (beginning in 1986) 215 26 5/8/1991 M Perinatal (<= 150 cm) 109 27 7/6/1991 F Perinatal (<= 150 cm) 148 28 4/21/2003 M Perinatal (<= 150 cm) 133 29 6/6/1997 M Perinatal (<= 150 cm) 104 30 4/16/2003 F Perinatal (<= 150 cm) 127 31 6/10/1998 M Human Related: Watercraft collision 272 32 6/11/1998 M Natural: Other (includes red tide) 228 33 5/24/1976 M Perinatal (<= 150 cm) 114 34 4/10/1987 F Perinatal (<= 150 cm) 124 35 9/15/1990 F Perinatal (<= 150 cm) 148 36 11/3/2001 F Perinatal (<= 150 cm) 138 37 6/8/2000 M Undetermined: Too decomposed 273 38 8/9/2006 F Perinatal (<= 150 cm) 128 39 6/21/2004 F Perinatal (<= 150 cm) 136 40 5/25/2012 F Undetermined: Too Decomposed 210 41 8/21/2003 F Perinatal (<= 150 cm) 123 42 6/4/2012 M Human Related: Watercraft Collision 249 43 8/6/2005 M Perinatal (<= 150 cm) 134 44 2/13/2001 M Undetermined: Too decomposed 330 45 7/28/2007 M Undetermined: Too decomposed 295 46 11/24/2009 M Natural: Cold Stress (beginning in 1986) 266 47 9/16/2006 F Undetermined: Too decomposed 333 48 9/29/2006 M Human Related: Watercraft collision 271 Final Edition April 2016 Page 65
49 8/9/1998 M Perinatal (<= 150 cm) 111 50 2/8/1990 M Undetermined: Too decomposed 273 51 1/18/1987 M Undetermined: Other 226 52 3/24/1993 F Perinatal (<= 150 cm) 120 53 10/2/1980 F Perinatal (<= 150 cm) 123 54 7/26/2002 M Perinatal (<= 150 cm) 117 55 4/3/1976 F Natural: Other (includes red tide) 300 56 8/14/1997 F Perinatal (<= 150 cm) 133 57 1/9/2010 M Natural: Cold Stress (beginning in 1986) 295 58 1/31/2013 F Natural: Cold Stress (beginning in 1986) 194 59 5/30/2009 M Perinatal (<= 150 cm) 117 60 7/10/2008 F Undetermined: Other 196 61 1/30/2009 F Natural: Cold Stress (beginning in 1986) 192 62 9/2/1996 M Perinatal (<= 150 cm) 125 63 6/13/2007 F Perinatal (<= 150 cm) 139 64 7/19/2003 M Perinatal (<= 150 cm) 120 65 5/3/2009 M Perinatal (<= 150 cm) 124 66 4/1/2009 F Natural: Other (includes red tide) 245 67 5/20/2007 M Human Related: Watercraft collision 214 68 12/24/1989 F Natural: Cold Stress (beginning in 1986) 180 69 9/27/2008 F Natural: Other (includes red tide) 338 70 7/14/2009 M Human Related: Watercraft collision 307 71 11/13/1993 M Human Related: Watercraft collision 153 72 5/29/1994 F Human Related: Watercraft collision 245 73 6/5/2007 M Human Related: Watercraft collision 324 74 7/23/2006 M Human Related: Watercraft collision 308 Final Edition April 2016 Page 66
75 7/22/2004 M Human Related: Watercraft collision 296 76 8/16/2008 M Perinatal (<= 150 cm) 123 77 5/24/2003 F Human Related: Watercraft collision 267 78 5/25/2003 F Human Related: Watercraft collision 125 79 5/10/2002 F Human Related: Watercraft collision 275 80 4/22/2001 M Undetermined: Too decomposed 321 81 12/13/2012 M Natural: Cold Stress (beginning in 1986) 225 82 9/20/2012 M Perinatal (<= 150 cm) 150 83 5/6/2007 M Undetermined: Too decomposed 216 84 3/1/2008 F Human Related: Watercraft collision 221 85 4/16/1990 M Perinatal (<= 150 cm) 149 3.3.1 Watercraft-Related Manatee Mortalities Flagler County is not recognized as an area with high watercraft-related manatee deaths, but the County does recognize that the number of deaths in the early to mid-2000 s increased to a number of concern (with spikes to 2 deaths each year in 2003, 2006, & 2007). During the time period of 1974 through 1989, no watercraft-related manatee deaths were confirmed. During the 1990 s, five (5) watercraft-related manatee deaths were confirmed. During the 2000 s, a total of ten (10) watercraft-related manatee deaths were confirmed and from 2010 to 2013, only one (1) watercraft-related manatee deaths has been confirmed. Please see Figure 46 for a graphic representation of these findings. Final Edition April 2016 Page 67
Figure 46. Watercraft-Related Manatee Deaths per Decade. Data Source: FWC - FWRI 12 10 # of Manatees 8 6 4 # of Manatee Deaths 2 0 1974-1979 1980-1989 1990-1999 2000-2009 2010-2013 Year Range Based upon aerial surveys, telemetry and manatee mortality data collected, the following conclusions can be made: Manatee use of the Flagler County waterways is widespread, and the Flagler County waterways support a primarily seasonal manatee presence with the greatest abundance during non-winter months. Manatee deaths have been documented during the winter months, with most being related to cold stress. Though of the 16 documented watercraft-related manatee deaths, 2 occurred during the winter months. The largest number of watercraft-related manatee deaths have occurred within Section E Smith Creek south of SR 100 (10 of the total 16 verified watercraft-related manatee deaths). Flagler County serves as a travel corridor for manatees migrating north and south to other counties. Manatees are widely dispersed and move freely between each area of the County and within the canals and lakes, particularly during non-winter months. Final Edition April 2016 Page 68
Some Flagler County waterways are used by manatees for nursing and calving. The most significant locations for these types of activities appear to be the man-made canals within the City of Palm Coast and Flagler Beach. The canals within these two cities are primarily at buildout level and most parcels have existing single family docks. Manatee protection from watercraft-related mortality is currently in place through local no wake zones within the canals. Watercraft-related manatee mortality in Flagler County was at an elevated level between 2002 and 2009. 3.4 Boat Activity According to 2013 Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FDHSMV) data, Flagler County currently ranks 13 th (last) out of 13 Florida East Coast Atlantic counties in number of registered boating vessels (Table 3) and 39 th in overall abundance statewide. A breakdown of boat sizes registered in Flagler County in 2013 is included in Table 4. Table 3: Boater Registrations in East Coast Atlantic Counties, 2013. Source: FDHSMV COUNTY Recreational Commercial TOTAL DADE 59,031 1,829 60,860 BROWARD 40,208 937 41,145 PALM BCH 36,852 1,046 37,898 BREVARD 32,185 822 33,007 DUVAL 27,072 663 27,735 MONROE 24,422 2,515 26,937 VOLUSIA 25,898 702 26,600 MARTIN 14,871 541 15,412 ST. JOHNS 12,854 379 13,233 ST. LUCIE 11,983 499 12,482 IND.RIVER 9,983 415 10,398 NASSAU 5,755 160 5,915 FLAGLER 4,989 65 5,054 TOTAL 306,103 10,573 316,676 Final Edition April 2016 Page 69
Table 4: Boat Types Registered in Flagler County, 2013. Source: FDHSMV Class A-1 Class A-2 Class 1 Class 2 Class 3 Class 4 Class 5 Subtotals Totals Year < than 12' 12-15'11" 16'-25-11" 26'-39'11" 40'-64'11" 65'-109'11" 110' OR More Rec Com Rec Com Rec Com Rec Com Rec Com Rec Com Rec Com Rec Com 2013 855 3 1,149 28 2,481 25 372 6 73 2 2 1 0 0 4,989 65 5,054 3.4.1 Boating Accident Statistics A summary of boating accident statistics for the state of Florida and Flagler County for the year 2013 (data received from FWC Division of Law Enforcement - LE) is provided in Table 5. Only two (2) boating accidents were reported in 2013 in Flagler County, placing the County 40 th overall in boating accidents and representing only 0.27% of all statewide reported boating accidents. County Table 5: Florida Boating Accident Statistics, 2013. Source: FWC - LE Total Vessels Reportable Accidents Fatalities Injuries Property Damage Final Edition April 2016 Page 70 Rank Accident Rate Alachua 10,320 0 0 0 $0 51 0 Baker 2,184 0 0 0 $0 52 0 Bay 18,315 13 0 12 $228,650 17 1:1,409 Bradford 2,227 0 0 0 $0 53 0 Brevard 33,456 24 2 19 $189,600 7 1:1,394 Broward 41,657 50 1 29 $270,510 4 1:833 Calhoun 1,530 0 0 0 $0 54 0 Charlotte 20,545 12 1 10 $93,500 18 1:1,712 Citrus 15,618 17 0 17 $60,800 14 1:919 Clay 11,725 9 0 10 $27,350 22 1:1,303 Collier 21,775 22 3 12 $120,224 9 1:990 Columbia 4,273 0 0 0 $0 55 0 Desoto 2,220 1 1 0 $0 44 1:2,220 Dixie 2,485 2 2 6 $5,200 38 1:1,243 Duval 27,840 19 4 6 $529,280 10 1:1,465 Escambia 15,753 6 3 6 $5,250 26 1:2,626 Flagler 5,054 2 0 1 $4,100 40 1:2,537 Franklin 3,370 6 1 2 $69,900 27 1:562
Gadsden 2,348 0 0 0 $0 56 0 Gilchrist 1,619 0 0 0 $0 57 0 Glades 1,193 5 0 2 $154,000 28 1:239 Gulf 2,819 1 1 1 $2,500 46 1:2,819 Hamilton 882 0 0 0 $0 58 0 Hardee 1,520 0 0 0 $0 59 0 Hendry 2,853 2 0 0 $6,450 39 1:1,427 Hernando 8,885 5 0 2 $18,865 29 1:1,777 Highlands 8,172 3 1 3 $6,250 34 1:2,724 Hillsborough 41,004 19 0 13 $91,200 11 1:2,158 Holmes 2,103 0 0 0 $0 60 0 Indian River 10,449 10 1 2 $44,00 19 1:1,045 Jackson 4,635 2 0 2 $0 43 1:2,318 Jefferson 1,340 0 0 0 $0 61 0 Lafayette 921 0 0 0 $0 62 0 Lake 20,326 8 1 5 $33,450 24 1:2,541 Lee 43,736 30 1 14 $215,504 6 1:1,446 Leon 16,638 0 0 0 $ 63 0 Levy 4,128 1 0 1 $0 48 1:4,128 Liberty 1,122 0 0 0 $0 64 0 Madison 1,146 0 0 0 $0 65 0 Manatee 17,425 9 0 9 $44,200 20 1:1,936 Marion 18,169 2 0 3 $4,480 42 1:9,085 Martin 15,606 18 3 8 $309,951 12 1;867 Miami-Dade 61,537 104 4 50 $1,660,557 1 1;592 Monroe 27,100 100 5 56 $937,500 2 1:2271 Nassau 5,937 2 0 1 $2,600 41 1:2,969 Okaloosa 17,978 24 4 13 $590,670 8 1:749 Okeechobee 4,801 4 0 1 $54,400 33 1:1,200 Orange 26,991 7 0 3 $67,500 25 1:3,856 Osceola 7,998 5 1 3 $62,000 30 1:1,600 Palm Beach 38,142 56 3 20 $927,650 3 1:681 Pasco 23,241 9 1 6 $95,400 21 1:2,582 Pinellas 46,929 47 8 22 $456,600 5 1:998 Polk 27,455 5 1 5 $33,500 31 1:5,491 Final Edition April 2016 Page 71
Putnam 7,720 3 0 0 $23,000 35 1:2,573 Santa Rosa 14,162 2 1 7 $173,000 36 1:7,081 Sarasota 21,577 15 1 10 $121,300 16 1:1,438 Seminole 17,305 5 1 2 $15,000 32 1:4,326 St. Johns 13,308 9 3 6 $54,001 23 1:1,479 St. Lucie 12,564 17 0 5 $292,800 15 1:739 Sumter 4,098 0 0 0 $0 66 0 Suwannee 2,683 1 0 1 $3,500 45 1:2,683 Taylor 3,726 1 0 0 $4,000 47 1:3,726 Union 895 0 0 0 $0 67 0 Volusia 26,828 18 0 10 $88,650 13 1:1,490 Wakulla 4,743 1 0 1 $0 49 1:4,743 Walton 5,419 1 0 0 $3,500 50 1:5,419 Washington 2,288 2 1 2 $75 37 1:1,144 3.4.2 Boating Studies in Flagler County MOTE Marine Laboratory (MML) collected boating data in Flagler County from August 2007 through February 2009 using aerial surveys. The MML flew 20 surveys during this time period. The data were collected in four survey quarters: Winter (December February), Spring (March May), Summer (June August), and Fall (September November). Each quarter contained five flights consisting of two weekday flights and three weekend flights. The boat data used in this analysis was a subset of the overall dataset for multiple counties. An overview of the findings of boating densities throughout Flagler County is represented in Figure 47. The survey differentiated vessel size categories per the standard FWC Law Enforcement size classes, and designated as: Less than 16 feet, 16-25 feet, 26 39 feet, 40 64 feet, 65 109 feet, and greater than 110 feet. The survey also identified Vessel speeds as: Anchor/Drift, Human-Powered (Oar/Paddle), Under Sail, Idle / Slow, Plowing, Cruising, and Planing. The speed definitions for vessels under power were taken from Gorzelany (2009) and were originally adapted from the Florida Administrative Code 62N-22. Individual speed categories were defined as follows: Final Edition April 2016 Page 72
Idle Speed The minimum speed that maintains steerage of a vessel, or the speed at which a vessel is normally docked. Little or no displacement of water is observable from either the bow or stern, and the vessel remains level in the water at all times. This typically corresponds to a speed of less than 5 miles per hour (Gorzelany, 2009). Slow Speed The speed at which all vessels are completely off plane and fully settled in the water. Some minimal water displacement at either the bow or stern (or both) may be observed. Because this will vary greatly from vessel to vessel, this speed has also been defined as approximately five to nine miles per hour (Gorzelany, 2009). Plowing Speed An intermediate speed between slow speed and planing speed; the bow of the vessel typically rides higher than the stern, and substantial displacement of water occurs. Depending on the size and type of vessel, plowing may occur at a variety of speeds, but is most often observed between 10 and 20 miles per hour (Gorzelany, 2009). This speed designation is used specifically for vessels with planing-type hulls. Cruising Speed A qualitative speed designation uniquely applied to a relatively fast-moving vessel with a nonplaning-type hull (e.g.; a pontoon boat or displacement hull vessel). It is identified by noticeable water displacement from the bow and/or stern and an observed speed faster than the previously defined slow speed designation. Similar to those at plowing speed, vessels at cruising speed most often travel at speeds between 10-20 miles per hour (Gorzelany, 2009). Planing Speed A vessel traveling at sufficient speed to partially raise the vessel out of the water during travel. Vessel planing speeds vary widely depending upon vessel size and hull design; however the majority of planing vessels typically travel at speeds in excess of 15 miles per hour (Gorzelany, 2009). Final Edition April 2016 Page 73
In regards to manatees, the important categories of boats are those under power and at a speed of plowing, cruising, or planing. The power boat data set included a total of 732 boats in Flagler County. The Flagler County power boat data were further subdivided to include vessels that were classified as plowing, cruising or planing. This Fast Boats subset included a total of 277 boats, or approximately 38% of the dataset (Gorzelany, 2009). Data from this survey were utilized to complete the boating density figure below. The MML boat surveys document that the areas of heavy boat concentrations in Flagler County waters are near the existing marinas, within the canals (which are primarily at full build out), within areas that are known for recreational fishing, or are near existing boat ramps. These areas specifically include around the Palm Coast Marina and Hammock Beach Resort Yacht Harbor, the city of Palm Coast canals, Bing s Landing boat ramp, Herschel King Park boat ramp, and the Moody Public boat launch. There are Manatee Protection Zones in the areas of known high boat traffic density and areas of greatest potential manatee-boater overlap. The Manatee Protection Zones were previously described in Section 1.5. No boating studies have been completed for Lake Crescent. Due to its known use as a destination for largemouth bass and speckled perch by recreational anglers, the assumption is made that Lake Crescent is primarily used by small bass boats (less than 20 in length) and pontoon boats. Final Edition April 2016 Page 74
Figure 47: Boating Density Overview. Data Source: FWC-FWRI 3.5 Existing Boating Facility Inventory A study utilizing permitting data, current Flagler County Property Appraiser data, FWC data, 2014 aerial imagery, and ground-truthing was completed as part of this Manatee Protection Plan to inventory the existing boat slips and boat ramps (with appropriate number of boat trailer parking spaces) presently found in Flagler County. The data was compiled to create an Final Edition April 2016 Page 75
inventory of all existing facilities with 5 or more slips, commercial slips, boat ramps, and transient mooring slips such as those at restaurants in Flagler County. Facility type designations were established for Commercial Marina (CM) and Residential Marina (RM), Boat Ramp (BR), Transient Slip (TS), and Commercial Facility (CF). In this analysis of all facility types combined, there was a total of 772 wet slips, 136 dry slips, 25 boat ramp lanes, and 144 boat ramp boat trailer parking spaces. Please see Table 6 and Figure 48 below for documentation of the existing facility types and locations. 3.5.1 Commercial and Residential Marinas Sixteen (16) marinas were identified, of which twelve (12) were multi-family residential marinas, two (2) were multi-family residential/commercial marinas, and two (2) were commercial marinas. Total slip capacity for each boat facility type was indicated by the sum of all wet slips and dry slips. A total of 784 slips (717 wet and 36 dry) were identified for this grouping of boat facilities. Slip occupancy was found to vary widely and frequently, as a few marinas appear to be at full occupancy and a few marinas appear to be at low occupancy. 3.5.2 Ramps and Transient Slips Thirteen (13) boat ramps were identified along with three (3) transient slip facilities (restaurants). Total slip capacity for each ramp was indicated by the sum of available boat trailer parking spaces. For the transient slip facilities (restaurants), total moorings were used to indicate total slip capacity. There was a total of 187 slips (144 boat trailer parking spaces and 43 transient slips) that were identified for this grouping of boat facilities. 3.5.3 Commercial Facilities Three (3) commercial facilities were identified. Total slip capacity for the commercial facilities was 12 wet slips and 100 dry slips that were identified for this grouping of boat facilities. Final Edition April 2016 Page 76
Table 6: Flagler County Boating Access Inventory FACILITY NAME TYPE ADDRESS WET SLIPS DRY SLIPS RAMP LANES RAMP PARKING Bella Harbor RM Bella Harbor Ct 6 0 0 0 6 Bing's Landing TS,BR 5862 N. Oceanshore Blvd 10 0 2 48 10 Bull Creek Fish Camp TS,BR 3861 CR 2006 W 20 0 1 10 20 Bulow Ruins State Park BR 3501 Old Kings Rd S 0 0 1 2 0 Canopy Walk RM 550 Canopy Walk 69 0 0 0 69 Centex Homes Marineland RM,BR 9600 N. Oceanshore Blvd 5 0 1 0 5 Driftway Terrace Subdivision BR Driftway Terrace 0 0 1 0 0 Emerald Cove RM N. Flagler Ave 8 0 0 0 8 Flagler Bridge Marina CM,BR 127 Lehigh Ave 82 36 2 0 118 Flagler by the Sea RM 2982 N. Oceanshore Blvd 6 0 0 0 6 Gamble Rogers State Park BR 3100 S. Oceanshore Blvd 0 0 1 15 0 Hammock Beach Yacht Harbor CM,RM 106 Yacht Harbor Dr 212 0 0 0 212 Hammock by the River RM 11 Hammock Oak Ct 10 0 0 0 10 Harborside Village Marina RM 100 Palm Harbor Pkwy 30 0 0 0 30 Herschel King Park BR 150 Waterfront Park Rd 0 0 2 43 0 Matanzas Shores Boat Club RM 400 San Juan Dr 6 0 0 0 6 Marina Bay RM 100 Marina Bay Dr 49 0 0 0 49 Marina Cove RM Marina Point Place 68 0 0 0 68 Marineland Marina CM 9507 N. Oceanshore Blvd 25 0 0 0 25 Moody Public Boat Launch BR 825 Moody Ln 0 0 4 22 0 New Castle Marina CF 5658 N. Oceanshore Blvd 0 0 1 0 0 Palm Coast Marina CM,RM,BR 15 Palm Coast Resort Blvd 100 0 1 0 100 Princess Place Preserve BR 1281 Princess Place Rd 0 0 2 0 0 Rhodes Marine Service CF 5478 N. Oceanshore Blvd 0 0 1 0 0 Russell Landing Haw Creek BR 1105 CR 2007 0 0 1 1 0 Sea Ray Boats CF 100 Sea Ray Dr 12 100 2 0 112 Shell Bluff Park BR 14331 SR 100 W 0 0 1 3 0 Sunset Inlet RM Morning Light Ct 31 0 0 0 31 Waterside at Palm Coast Condos RM 106 Clubhouse Dr 10 0 0 0 10 Whitney Lab of UF BR 9505 N. Oceanshore Blvd 0 0 1 0 0 820 Moody Lane Restaurant TS 820 Moody Ln 13 0 0 0 13 TOTAL 772 136 25 144 908 TOTAL SLIPS Final Edition April 2016 Page 77
Figure 48: Overall Boating Facilities Map 3.5.4 Marineland & Matanzas River Region Section A The northern-most analysis region depicted in Figure 49 is approximately four (4) miles long and extends from an area just south of Bing s Landing Park to the northern county line. The Final Edition April 2016 Page 78
entire western side of the ICW in this region, roughly 22,000 linear feet, has been effectively removed from development via the public acquisitions of Pellicer Flats and Princess Place Preserve. The eastern side of the ICW contains non-development areas of Washington Oaks State Gardens (1.3 miles of shoreline), Matanzas Shores Conservation Area (0.716 miles of shoreline), and River to Sea Preserve (0.6 miles of shoreline). Out of approximately 8 miles of shoreline, roughly 6.7 miles, or 84%, have limited potential for development of boating facilities. A commercial marina facility is located in the Town of Marineland. This facility currently has 25 boat slips with 55 more planned. A small residential dock is located within the Centex Homes Marineland property. This dock has moorings for 5 boats, but is currently not used due to the development not being constructed. A small residential marina is located within the Matanzas Shores Subdivision. This marina currently has 6 transient residential boat slips for subdivision residents only. Princess Place Preserve has two small canoe/kayak launches. No motorized boats are launched from these ramps, and no designated trailer spaces are located within the park. This region also contains Bing s Landing Park. Bing s Landing is a County owned public two lane boat ramp which contains 48 boat trailer parking spaces and also has a dock with moorings for 10 boats for transient use. Further expansion of this Park to provide additional trailer parking spaces would be very difficult. The property to the north is developed with a single family home, and while the park itself does contain some undeveloped areas, this park also contains the ruins of Joseph Hernandez s plantation home. The home s ruins and surrounding property is on the U. S. Department of the Interior s National Register of Historic Places. Final Edition April 2016 Page 79
Figure 49: Boating Facilities Section A Final Edition April 2016 Page 80
3.5.5 Palm Coast Region Section B To the south of the Marineland and Matanzas River region is the Palm Coast region (Figure 50). It is approximately three miles in length. Its northern boundary is south of Bing s Landing Park, while the southern boundary is approximately the Hammock Dunes Bridge. Existing boating facilities include the Marina at Hammock Beach Resort which contains 212 total wet slips and the Palm Coast Marina with 80 total wet slips. These two marinas are the largest commercial/residential mixed use marinas in Flagler County. The marinas are predominately used by residential owners and guests of the mixed residential use properties on the uplands. Both properties provide transient slips - for non-owners. This region also contains the Marina Cove, Bella Harbor, and Waterside at Palm Coast Condos residential marinas, which accommodates only residential owners and guests. The Marina Cove marina has 68 total wet slips, Bella Harbor has 6 total wet slips, and Waterside at Palm Coast Condos has 10 total wet slips. This region also contains two commercial facilities, the Newcastle Marina, a +/-4.5 acre defunct large yacht manufacturing facility with 300 of ICW waterfront and a marine railway and the Rhodes Marine Service which also has a marine railway and caters to smaller vessels. Both commercial facilities are located on parcels which could be expanded for use as a boating facility in the future. Each facility has 1 ramp system for launching boats via travel lift, railway, or fork lift. This region also contains the canals of the City of Palm Coast. These canals were dredged during the development of the city by the International Telephone and Telegraph Corporation (ITT), which was the primary owner of the property which is now the City of Palm Coast. They are predominately single family residential lots which are at near full build out condition and most currently have existing boat docks for residential use. Final Edition April 2016 Page 81
Figure 50: Boating Facilities Section B Final Edition April 2016 Page 82
3.5.6 Fox Cut Region Section C This section is approximately 3.5 miles in length, extending from the Hammock Dunes Bridge south to the Herschel King Park (Figure 51). The Harborside Village condominium is located south of the Hammock Dunes Bridge. The Harborside Village has a residential marina facility associated with the Harborside Village Condominiums. The facility currently has 30 wet slips available for condo owners and guests only. The slips are presently constructed in water depths too shallow for boat use. No boats are currently kept at the Harborside Village Marina and future dredging would be required for use. Canopy Walk is a residential marina facility associated with the Canopy Walk Condominiums. This facility has 69 existing wet slips available for condo owners and guests only. The permit for Canopy Walk limits the vessel size within this residential marina to a 25 foot maximum length. The Hammock by the River subdivision and residential marina are also located in this region. This is a small neighborhood dock with 10 slips available for owners and guests only. Hershel King Park is a County owned two-lane boat ramp and basin along the western side of the ICW. The 17 acre facility provides 43 boat trailer parking slips with approximately 1800 of ICW frontage. This Park has room for boat trailer parking expansion. Currently no plans have been completed for future expansion of this park. Final Edition April 2016 Page 83
Figure 51: Boating Facilities Section C Final Edition April 2016 Page 84
3.5.7 Smith Creek North of SR 100 Region Section D This Region is approximately 4 miles in length and extends from south of Hershel King Park in its northern extent to the SR 100 Bridge to the south (Figure 52). The western side of the ICW in this Region is dominated by single family homes with docks. The eastern side of the ICW within this Region has single family docks in the northern section, very few docks in the mid-section in the City of Flagler Beach, and upland cut canals with single family homes to the south. The Driftway Terrace Subdivision is located within this section. This subdivision has a small boat ramp for community access to the waterway. The Flagler by the Sea mobile home park is located within this section. This community has a small residential marina with 6 total wet slips. The Sunset Inlet residential marina is also located in this section. The Sunset Inlet Subdivision has 31 single family lots with slips already constructed. This subdivision is currently under construction. Also within this section is the 49 slip Marina Bay Condominium located within Silver Lake. This is a residential marina for Condo owners and guests only. Silver Lake is one of two bays along the east side of the ICW. The Emerald Cove residential marina is a small 8 slip residential marina for the use of Emerald Cove subdivision owners and guests only. The Sea Ray boat manufacturing plant is located northeast of Roberts Road. This commercial facility is one of the largest private sector employers in the County and is rapidly growing. This facility has 12 total wet slips, 100 total dry slips, and 2 ramp lanes. Sea Ray tests each vessel built at the Palm Coast facility on the Intracoastal Waterway. The wet slips, dry slips, and ramp lanes are used specifically by the facility only. Typically, testing times are between 7:00 AM and 4:30 PM Monday through Thursday. There is a maximum of three (3) vessels being operated at the same period of time on the water. Vessels constructed and tested are in the 40+ foot range. These test runs may be anywhere from 90 to 180 minutes with speeds ranging from idle to the maximum posted speed. The Flagler Beach Marina is a commercial marina located north of the SR100 Bridge. This small commercial marina is permitted for 82 wet slips and 36 dry storage slips. This marina currently accommodates trailers and dry slip boats within the grassed upland parking area as boat storage. No dry storage facility is found onsite. A small ramp is located on the property and appears it could also be used by a travel lift system. Final Edition April 2016 Page 85
A defunct, closed restaurant property located at 820 Moody Lane, just north of the SR100 Bridge, is also located in this region. This closed restaurant has finger piers and moorings for a total of 13 small boats. This total was included as wet slips and identified as a transient slip facility. The slips could be utilized in the future if the restaurant is re-opened. This region also contains the canals of Flagler Beach. They are predominately single family residential lots which are at near full build out condition and most currently have existing boat docks for residential use. A large percentage of the Flagler Beach residential docks are utilized for sailboat dockage. Final Edition April 2016 Page 86
Figure 52: Boating Facilities Section D Final Edition April 2016 Page 87
3.5.8 Smith Creek South of SR 100 Region Section E The southernmost section is approximately four (4) miles long and is dominated by single family homes and conservation lands (Figure 53). This area contains the Moody Public Boat Launch. This popular public boat launch has 4 ramp lanes and 22 boat trailer parking spaces. This area also contains the Bulow Ruins State Park boat ramp. This is a one ramp launch that accommodates only small boats less than 16 in length. Only 2 parking spaces are available here for boat trailers. Gamble Rogers Memorial State Recreation Area has a one lane boat ramp which provides access to the ICW. The Recreation Area s parking lot has undesignated boat trailer parking but appears that it would accommodate up to 15 boat trailers. Final Edition April 2016 Page 88
Figure 53: Boating Facilities Section E 3.5.9 Lake Crescent Region Section F The Lake Crescent Region of Flagler County is dominated by conservation lands, agricultural use, and large wetland floodplain systems along its shore (Figure 54). Three county operated boat ramps are located on Lake Crescent and Dead Lake (Shell Bluff Park boat ramp, Bull Creek boat ramp, and Russell Landing Haw Creek Preserve). The Shell Bluff Park ramp has one lane and 3 trailer parking spaces. The Bull Creek Fish Camp has one lane and approximately 10 trailer parking spaces. There is a bait shop and restaurant owned by Flagler County adjacent to the Bull Creek boat ramp. Twenty transient slips associated with the restaurant and bait shop Final Edition April 2016 Page 89
are located here. The Russell Landing Haw Creek Preserve boat ramp is a small one lane ramp with only one trailer parking space. Figure 54: Boating Facilities Section F Final Edition April 2016 Page 90
3.6 Manatee Spatial Overlap Analysis During the 2010-2012 rulemaking process to establish manatee protection boat speed zones in the coastal portion of Flagler County, FWC staff provided a data summary and analysis document to the Local Rule Review Committee established by Flagler County. As part of that data analysis, manatee density geographical information system covers (covers) were created using the FWC manatee aerial survey data and boating density covers were created using the boating aerial survey data collected by Mote Marine Lab. The density covers were multiplied together to create warm-season and cold-season covers showing the spatial overlap between the manatee and boating observations. Areas with higher spatial overlap, referred to as coincidence in the data document, represent locations with a higher potential for manateeboat interactions. Coincidence data was one of several datasets used in developing the protection zones. Spatial overlap analysis assists in understanding and depicting the areas where manatee protection zones may be needed and whether there are seasonal components to manatee-boat interactions that need to be considered. As such, this type of manatee risk analysis is most pertinent to the development of protection zones. The boat facility siting strategy data analysis considers all information that adds to the understanding of how the contribution of additional boat traffic may adversely affect manatees. While the 2010 spatial overlap analysis was used primarily for the evaluation of speed zones, it is referenced in this plan as additional information related to manatee use in Flagler County. The 2010 document should be consulted for more information about the spatial overlap analysis. 3.7 Information Assessment Discussions This section summarizes the data included throughout Section 3 in regards to manatee and boating use overlap, watercraft-related manatee deaths, existing marine facilities, and existing manatee protection measures. The discussions are described by planning section. Marineland and Matanzas River Region Section A Manatee Protection Zones: No manatee protection zones are located in this region. Existing Watercraft Access: There are a total of approximately 94 points of watercraft access in this area. This access consists of 48 boat trailer parking spaces at one boat ramp and 46 marina Final Edition April 2016 Page 91
slips. The remainder of property within this region is primarily public lands or single family residential parcels. Boating Traffic: The MML boating study verified the majority of boats in the region were located near or at the Marineland marina or Bing s Landing boat ramp. Boats routinely traverse the ICW in this area making their way north to St. Augustine or south towards Palm Coast. Boat traffic in this region would be considered light. Manatee Data: Manatee use in this area seems primarily limited to traveling in the ICW. Only one watercraft-related manatee death was identified in this region, occurring in 1992. Manatees have been regularly sighted in this area. Summary: Shoreline land use in this area is predominately conservation and single family parcels. This is primarily a conservation area with regular manatee use and predominately low boat activity. FWC did not identify this area as requiring manatee protection zones. Palm Coast Region Section B Manatee Protection Zones: The state manatee protection zone around the Hammock Dunes/Palm Coast Parkway Bridge encompasses approximately 0.6 miles of navigable ICW. The canals within the City of Palm Coast have slow no wake zones which were placed into effect by local government for human safety and property protection, but which also provide protection to manatees known to utilize this area. Existing Watercraft Access: There are a total of approximately 377 points of watercraft access in this area. This access consists of 376 boat slips and 2 commercial marina ramps. This section includes the canal network found within the City of Palm Coast. This network of canals provides single family dock access to the ICW. The canals within the City appear to be at buildout capacity. Boating Traffic: The MML boating study verified the majority of boats in the region were located near or at the existing large boat facilities just north of the Hammock Dunes Bridge. This area also includes the canal networks within the City of Palm Coast. Boat traffic in this area is the highest found within the County, primarily due to the existing boat facilities and high number of single family docks. Final Edition April 2016 Page 92
Manatee Data: The aerial survey manatee sightings for this area were of moderate numbers, although this is a known area of higher manatee numbers especially in the warm season. Manatees have been regularly sighted in this area by residents and visitors of Palm Coast. The canals are also identified as utilized for calving and nursing by manatees. Three watercraftrelated manatee deaths were identified in this region, all occurring in the 1990 s. Only one of these occurred within the canal network. Summary: Shoreline land use in this area includes conservation, residential and commercial marinas, and single family parcels. This area was identified as the highest boat traffic area in the County. Warm season speed zones around the Hammock Dunes Bridge have been in place since 2012. Fox Cut Region Section C Manatee Protection Zones: The state manatee protection zone around the Hammock Dunes/ Palm Coast Parkway Bridge encompasses approximately 0.6 miles of navigable ICW, of which a small portion is within this section south of the bridge. Existing Watercraft Access: There are a total of approximately 152 points of watercraft access in this area. This access consists of 109 residential marina slips and 43 boat trailer parking spaces at one boat ramp. Of the 109 residential marina slips, 30 at Harborside Village are not currently used by boats. This section also includes the large single family neighborhoods of Island Estates and Grand Haven, which include single family docks. Boating Traffic: The MML boating study verified the majority of boats in the region were located near the Hammock Dunes Bridge, which is also where the three boat facilities in this section are located. Boat traffic in this area is the highest near the bridge and boat facilities but then lowers as you head south around Fox Cut. Manatee Data: The manatee surveys for this area documented movement of manatees throughout the ICW and Fox Cut. No canals or other waterways are found within this region and both the ICW and Fox Cut are narrow waterways, therefore manatees are moving through this area as they head north and south to other areas. One watercraft-related manatee death was identified in this region, occurring recently in 2012. Manatees have been regularly sighted in this area. Final Edition April 2016 Page 93
Summary: Shoreline land use in this area includes mostly single family parcels and public lands. This area was identified as a moderate boat traffic area in the County. Warm season speed zones around the Hammock Dunes Bridge have been in place since 2012. Smith Creek North of SR100 Region Section D Manatee Protection Zones: State manatee protection zones around the Flagler Beach/SR 100 Bridge and within the Lehigh Canal cover approximately 2.7 miles of navigable ICW within this region. The canals within the City of Flagler Beach have slow no wake zones which provide protection to manatees known to utilize this area. Existing Watercraft Access: There are a total of approximately 301 points of watercraft access in this area. This access consists of 176 residential and commercial marina slips, 112 commercial facility slips (100 are dry storage for boat manufacture), and 13 restaurant-related transient slips. This section includes the canal network found within the City of Flagler Beach. This network of canals provides single family dock access to the ICW. The canals within the City are generally at build-out capacity. Boating Traffic: The MML boating study verified the majority of boats in the region were located near the SR100/Flagler Beach Bridge, which is also where the larger boat facility and canals are located. Manatee Data: Manatee aerial survey sightings for this area were relatively high. One watercraft- related manatee death was identified in this region, occurring in 2006. Summary: Shoreline land use in this area includes conservation, residential and commercial marinas, restaurant, commercial facilities, and single family parcels. Warm season speed zones from the SR100/Flagler Beach Bridge north to Beverly Beach have been in place since 2012. Smith Creek South of SR100 Region Section E Manatee Protection Zones: State manatee protection zones are located around the Flagler Beach/SR 100 Bridge and a southern zone starts at the Flagler County border and extends north/northwest for 2.1 miles on the navigable ICW. Final Edition April 2016 Page 94
Existing Watercraft Access: There are a total of approximately 39 points of watercraft access in this area. This access consists of 39 boat trailer parking spaces at three boat ramp facilities. The remainder of property within this region is primarily public lands or single family residential parcels. Boating Traffic: The MML boating study verified a moderately high level of boats extending the entire length of this region even though boating access points are limited. It is anticipated this is due to the recreational fishing aspect of the vast saltmarshes found within southern Flagler and northern Volusia County. Manatee Data: Manatee use in this area is spread out throughout the ICW. Ten watercraftrelated manatee deaths were identified in this region, with 8 occurring in the 2000 s. One of the watercraft-related deaths in May 2007 was a known vessel strike from a 24-26 foot vessel with the carcass recovered south of the SR100 Bridge. Manatees have been regularly sighted in this area. Warm season speed zones have been in effect since 2012. Summary: Shoreline land use in this area is generally characterized as conservation and single family parcels. This is primarily a conservation area with regular manatee use and moderate boat activity. Due to the watercraft-related manatee deaths which occurred in recent years, warm season speed zones were established in 2012. Lake Crescent Region Section F Manatee Protection Zones: No manatee protection zones are located in this region. Existing Watercraft Access: There are a total of approximately 33 points of watercraft access in this area. This access consists of 23 boat trailer parking spaces at two boat ramps and 10 transient restaurant/fish camp slips. The remainder of property within this region is primarily public lands, agriculture, large floodplain wetlands, or large single family residential parcels. Boating Traffic: No boating studies have been completed for Lake Crescent. Lake Crescent is a freshwater lake connected to the St. Johns River by Dunn s Creek. The lake is known for its high quality largemouth bass and speckled perch recreational fishery. Boat use is primarily limited to small bass boats and pontoon boats. Final Edition April 2016 Page 95
Manatee Data: No manatee surveys have been completed for Lake Crescent. One watercraftrelated manatee death was identified in this region, occurring in 2008. Manatees have been regularly sighted in the lake and Dunn s Creek. SAV is found along the shoreline and shallow areas throughout the lake. Summary: Shoreline land use in this area is predominately agriculture, conservation, floodplain wetland swamp, and large single family parcels. This is primarily a conservation/agricultural area with regular manatee use (Ross, 2015). 3.8 Manatee and Boat Overlap Conclusions The Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) within Flagler County serves as a travel corridor for manatees migrating north and south to other counties. As discussed within the manatee data section of the plan, manatee presence is primarily seasonal with the greatest abundance during nonwinter months. Manatees are widely dispersed and move freely throughout the County s waterways. Some Flagler waterways are used by manatees for nursing and calving. The most significant locations for nursing and calving appear to be the man-made canals within the cities of Palm Coast and Flagler Beach. There are various types and intensity of boat activity within Flagler County. As discussed in the boat activity section, the areas of heaviest boat use are near the existing boat facilities and boat ramps, within the City of Palm Coast canals and at known fishing spots. The shoreline along Flagler County s waterways may be subject to various uses depending on location and landowner. Some areas are characterized by a significant amount of conservation areas, and similar areas where development of waterfront facilities is not encouraged or allowed. This limits the locations available for development of new boat facilities. Areas within the County that are publicly owned and are likely to be managed in the long term for conservation purposes have been identified as Conservation areas for the purpose of boat facility siting recommendations. For the remaining areas of the county that are not in conservation, recommended levels of boat facility development have been established in this plan based on an assessment of the amount of boat/manatee overlap and existing manatee protection speed zones. Final Edition April 2016 Page 96
The following areas have been identified as appropriate for unrestricted boat facility development: The east shoreline of the ICW to just north of 16 th Road East; a parcel of property now owned by the Flagler County School Board on the east side of the ICW within the Palm City limits; the ICW and the Fox Cut canal south of the Palm Coast Parkway to just past the southern end of the Fox Cut canal; a portion of the Lehigh Canal; an area on the east shore of the ICW north and south of the Moody Boulevard Bridge; an area south of the Moody Boulevard Bridge on the west side of the ICW; and the shoreline of Crescent and Dead Lakes that are not identified as conservation areas. The following areas have been identified as appropriate for moderate boat facility development: ICW and adjacent canal entrances north of Hammock Dunes Bridge through the city limits of Palm Coast on the west side of the ICW and to just north of 16 th Road East on east side of the ICW, except for the location in this area identified above for unrestricted development: This area is an important travel corridor for manatees. The boat traffic is also relatively heavy primarily due to the vessel traffic in and out of the Palm City residential area canals and the existing marinas just north of the Hammock Dunes Bridge. ICW and connected waterways south of Fox Cut except for the areas identified as Conservation areas and the locations in this area identified above for unrestricted development: This area is also an important travel corridor for manatees. There is regular boat traffic related to the Flagler Beach residential area canals and the existing marinas near the SR100/Flagler Beach Bridge. This boat traffic is regulated by seasonal slow speed zones within most of this area. Bulow Creek and connected canals except where the shoreline of the creek is identified as a Conservation Area: Manatees are present in Bulow Creek, and the creek is navigable. A lot of the creek shoreline has been identified in this plan as Conservation Areas where new and expanded boat facility development is not generally expected, and would be limited if it did occur. Final Edition April 2016 Page 97
The following areas have been identified as appropriate for minimal boat facility development: The man-made canals within the City of Palm Coast. Manatees often give birth, nurse and rest in these canals that are predominately bordered by single family homes. New or expanding boat facilities would not be preferred in these areas, with boat facility development allowed at a minimal level. A list of known future boat facility projects and previously permitted projects is provided within Appendix 1. These projects were utilized by Flagler County and the reviewing wildlife agencies in preparing the boat facility siting recommendations of this plan. Final Edition April 2016 Page 98
4.0 BOAT FACILITY SITING The Boat Facility Siting strategy of the Flagler County MPP is designed to minimize watercraftrelated manatee mortalities by establishing recommendations for new construction, renovation, or the expansion of existing boat facilities. The required elements within this plan are designed such that subsequent boating activity will be less likely to affect manatees or their habitat. The approach is to balance long term manatee protection needs, habitat conservation, and boating safety with commercial and recreational marine interests. All boat facilities within the jurisdiction of this document are required to adhere to the federal, state, and local management plans and rules, as well as the recommendations listed below. All boat facilities determined to be existing as defined in this MPP will continue to operate according to permitting guidelines. The boat facility siting objective is to minimize the overlap between boat traffic and areas of higher manatee use and to reduce the potential for human/manatee interaction. The intention is to minimize secondary and cumulative impacts to manatees and manatee habitat as a result of boat facilities, in a long term, comprehensive manner. The following were factors considered when developing recommendations for construction of a new facility or expansion of an existing facility, when applicable: Manatee use areas (based on aerial, telemetry, mortality data, etc.) Areas of productive habitat (vegetation, resting, calving areas, etc.) Areas of high manatee mortality Identification of sensitive, undisturbed natural areas frequented by manatees Areas with well flushed, deep water where the least dredging is required Areas with high demand for water access Travel time to high use boater destinations Existing Manatee Protection Zones 4.1 County and Municipality Jurisdiction The MPP applies to incorporated as well as unincorporated areas of Flagler County. However, Flagler County is a non-charter county, meaning Flagler County is only authorized to exercise the powers of self-government prescribed in the Florida Constitution and state laws. The County does not have jurisdiction over the incorporated municipalities that exist within the Final Edition April 2016 Page 99
County. While Flagler County may not be able to require incorporated municipalities to follow the provisions of the MPP, the provisions of the MPP will be used by FWC and USFWS to streamline the process of reviewing proposed boat facility projects whether they occur in an unincorporated area or in an incorporated municipality. 4.2 Boat Facility Siting Development Criteria Section 3 of this MPP documents the data assessment of manatee related information in regards to manatee abundance, telemetry, watercraft-related manatee mortalities, existing marine facilities, and boating survey data. The findings were utilized for the development of this Boat Facility Siting strategy. The factors which are considered when assessing the relative importance of specific areas to manatees and potential risks associated with watercraft activity, include natural resource data, documented or anticipated boating patterns, and/or physical waterbody characteristics. The most critical factors which represent the relative potential for manatee/watercraft overlap are: Manatee abundance Manatee calving and resting areas Watercraft-related manatee mortality areas Proximity to known boating destinations Existing marine facility sizes and locations Presence of Manatee Protection Zones and Preservation Lands Marine facility types and amount of boat traffic generated For a thorough discussion of these and other factors considered to identify areas where boat activity interacts with high use manatee areas, and to determine what appear to be appropriate locations for new and expanded boat facilities, refer to Section 3 of this MPP. 4.3 Boat Facility Siting Recommendations This Boat Facility Siting strategy has been completed and incorporated into the MPP to help reduce the potential for adverse manatee/watercraft interaction. The recommendations herein apply to the construction of any new boating facility as defined in this MPP and/or the expansion of an existing boating facility. Final Edition April 2016 Page 100
A. Unless specified otherwise, the Boat Facility Siting recommendations defined in 4.3.B below, and in Figures 55-67, apply to any new boating facility, as defined in the MPP, with five (5) or more slips, or expansion of an existing boating facility as defined in this plan, into a facility with 5 or more slips. The Boat Facility Siting recommendations do not apply to Boat Facilities with a total of four (4) or less slips. Facilities with less than five slips for repeat or transient use will be addressed on a case by case basis by the wildlife agencies during their reviews. B. Boat Facility Slip Recommendations are as follows: Preferred Category Color-coded shoreline where development is not restricted for the purpose of manatee protection. Other local, state, or federal restrictions may limit slip numbers for other reasons. Moderate Category - Development on shoreline color-coded as Moderate is recommended at a level of up to five (5) slips for every 100 feet of shoreline owned or controlled by the applicant. For example: A site has 342 feet of shoreline. In order to calculate the allowable number of slips, 342 is rounded up to the next one hundred foot increment (400), then divided by 100 which equals 4. That number is multiplied by the slip to shoreline ratio (5). In this example, 20 would be the allowable number of slips. Non-Preferred Category Development on shoreline color-coded as nonpreferred is recommended at a level of one slip for every 100 feet of shoreline owned or controlled by the applicant. For example: A site has 442 feet of shoreline. In order to calculate the allowable number of slips, 442 is rounded up to the next one hundred foot increment (500), then divided by 100 which equals five (5). That number is multiplied by the slip to shoreline ratio one (1). In this example, five (5) would be the allowable number of slips. Conservation Area Category Development on shoreline color-coded as conservation will be according to the policies of the entity managing the area if those policies have been documented in a management plan that has been reviewed and approved by the wildlife agencies as addressing potential impacts to manatees. If policies specifically addressing potential impacts to manatees have not been documented in the management plans, then development is Final Edition April 2016 Page 101
recommended at a level of one slip for every 100 feet of shoreline. Proposals for watercraft access are not expected in these areas, which are primarily owned by governmental entities for conservation purposes. C. For the purpose of calculating shoreline slip densities for Moderate, Conservation and Non-Preferred categories, the contiguous, linear shoreline used for these calculations is shoreline that existed as of the original date of approval of this plan and is color-coded on the boat facility siting maps, (Figures 55-67). These boat facility recommendations are specific only to the parcels that are categorized and color-coded. Boat slip development on shoreline that has not been categorized and color-coded will be evaluated as described below in subsection F. D. Dredging of Basins - The creation of new or the enlargement or widening of existing basins along the categorized shoreline is not restricted by this plan. However, the shoreline used to calculate the number of slips is the shoreline that existed prior to dredging, as defined within subsection C above for calculating slip densities based on linear shoreline. E. Large single family developments that are proposed on parcels with color-coded or categorized shoreline and would allow more than five single family docks should be reviewed under this MPP. F. Parcels Without Color-Coded or Categorized Shoreline - Not all shoreline has a boat facility siting designation (due to waterway navigability issues, development potential, manatee accessibility, etc.). However, the reasons for lack of a shoreline designation may change over time (such as connecting landlocked waterways). Boat facility development on this shoreline is recommended as follows: a. Proposals for no more than two slips per parcel (such as is allowed for a single family dock as referenced in the List of Definitions) or at a density of one slip per 100 feet of shoreline will be consistent with the MPP. Final Edition April 2016 Page 102
b. Proposals not described in (a) above require a case by case evaluation by federal and state wildlife agencies. G. The boat facility siting recommendations do not apply to Boat Facilities accommodating human powered vessels such as canoes and kayaks. These facilities are considered consistent with the MPP if the facility is consistent with all local, state and federal environmental standards in place at the time of permit application. H. Unforeseen boat facility siting matters that may arise which are not addressed by the boat facility siting strategy will be evaluated on a case by case basis. Final Edition April 2016 Page 103
Figure 55: Boat Facility Siting Recommendations County Overview Final Edition April 2016 Page 104
Figure 56: Boat Facility Siting Recommendations Map 1 Final Edition April 2016 Page 105
Figure 57: Boat Facility Siting Recommendations Map 2 Final Edition April 2016 Page 106
Figure 58: Boat Facility Siting Recommendations Map 3 Final Edition April 2016 Page 107
Figure 59: Boat Facility Plan Recommendations Map 4 Final Edition April 2016 Page 108
Figure 60: Boat Facility Plan Recommendations Map 5 Final Edition April 2016 Page 109
Figure 61: Boat Facility Siting Recommendations Map 6 Final Edition April 2016 Page 110
Figure 62: Boat Facility Siting Recommendations Map 7 Final Edition April 2016 Page 111
Figure 63: Boat Facility Siting Recommendations Map 8 Final Edition April 2016 Page 112
Figure 64: Boat Facility Siting Plan Recommendations Map 9 Final Edition April 2016 Page 113
Figure 65: Boat Facility Siting Recommendations Map 10 Final Edition April 2016 Page 114
Figure 66: Boat Facility Siting Recommendations Map 11 Final Edition April 2016 Page 115
Figure 67: Boat Facility Siting Recommendations Map 12 Final Edition April 2016 Page 116